Remnant of a Soul
by Omniczar
Summary: Saya has been a prisoner within her own body ever since she had been kidnapped. Now, she's been given a chance to regain control. Stuck in a land she knows nothing about, she must aid the inhabitants in their survival against the darkness consuming them. However, the cold truth of being death's vessel still haunts her and the Day of Reckoning is a threat looming ever closer. . .
1. My Only Chance

**Disclaimer – I do not own either Blazblue or RWBY. They are owned by Arc Systems and Roosterteeth respectively.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _"Thoughts"_

 **Aura/Semblance/Drive/Etc**

 ** _"Izanami Mental Speaking"_**

 **Chapter 1 – My Only Chance**

* * *

All around her was a sea of eternal darkness. She felt weightless in the void she had floated torturously for so long. How much time had passed since then? Since she became a prisoner within her own body? She didn't know. She just wanted it to end.

To be free again.

Where was her brother? Where was Ragna? He wouldn't leave her trapped here, would he? Alone forever in this endless nothingness within her own body. Within this swirling emptiness of darkness and death wrought upon her by the Izanami System.

No. Not her brother. He'd never do that. Her brother would never leave her to this fate. Not as long as he could still draw breath, He must be trying to find her. He must be.

He must be.

Pain shot through her again. If she had a corporeal body she knew she'd be in tears. The pain of her body slowly deteriorating from the act of being the vessel for the Goddess of Death. Izanami might be controlling her body; possessing the ability to control and manipulate what that evil man, Relius Clover, had transformed her body into, but she was the one who felt the pain. Izanami couldn't feel pain. Death couldn't feel pain.

" _But I can_ ," she thought miserably to herself. She was still. . . but was she though? Human? She knew the truth of herself now. What she truly was. What those clones, ν -No. 13- and μ -No. 12- were. Even what Izanami herself was. Those truths had been revealed to her however unwillingly they were just by acting as the unhappy and unwilling hostess for the embodiment of death herself.

Could she even consider herself human anymore knowing that truth? What would her brothers think of that truth? Who even were her brothers to her for that matter? If she was nothing more than a doll crafted from the remnants of a long-since deceased Prime Field Device then who was to say her brothers really were her brothers. She already could guess how Jin would feel about it, but Ragna? She didn't know. She could barely even comprehend the result of such a revelation. And that terrified her more than even being trapped here in this terrible darkness suffering the endless pain of decay.

The only one who knew the full truth, the bits and pieces of information she wasn't privy to even as Izanami's vessel, was Relius Clover and she doubted she'd ever want to hear him speak to her in any fashion for any reason.

That man gave her the chills. . . especially after what he did to her. . .

Yet another shot of pain coursed through her. She resisted it as best she could. This pain by now was all too familiar and surprisingly despite how frail and sickly she once was, she had certainly grown quite a tolerance to it. Her will to hold on for the sake of her brother allowed her to push past the torture of her deteriorating body and grow quite a tolerance to it.

Her thoughts then inevitably then turned to the man who destroyed the life she once had. The man who turned Jin against her and Ragna. The man who burned down the home they loved so much. The man who killed the dear sister who took care of them. Who kidnapped her allowing Relius to turn her into what she was now.

Yuki Terumi.

If her love for her brother was unconditional and absolute, then her hatred for that man was just as so if not more so. She hated him with such a fiery passion that even Izanami herself had noted she was being affected by it.

If her love for her brother was the catalyst that allowed her to endure this hell, then her hatred for that man was the catalyst that allowed her to seek to fight Izanami if for no other reason than to fight alongside her brother to end that ghost once and for all. Whether the reason be for justice or vengeance she knew not, but frankly after everything she went through she didn't care.

She was proud to remain optimistic, cheerful, and even innocent despite everything, but that man was the one thing that was the exception to that rule. If only she could regain control. She had to regain control. . .

As if by some divine intervention, a light broke through the infinite void she been trapped within since she became the vessel of death. Her eyes widen at this. She instinctually feels something. Like a door has been open to the cage. And that feeling it the only queue she needs. Immediately, she struggles against the will of the dark pulling against the invisible tendrils that kept her subdued. This was her chance. Her only chance. She had to break free.

She had to regain control.

She struggled determined despite the darkness's best effort to reel her back in. She would not be denied any longer. She reached out for the light and the light enveloped her.

* * *

Consciousness slowly returned to her. The first thing that she noticed, other than her grogginess, was the lack of pain she felt. For the first time since her transformation, she felt no pain. She slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the light as her eyes adjusted to it. Her muscles weakly attempted to pull her body up from where she was laying. Her hand pushed into the ground to help her and she felt something she hadn't the luxury of feeling in a long time: grass.

Her eyes finally opened as she stared at the hand she had planted on the ground. Indeed, her hand was firmly planted in grass. She slowly, unsurely, look at her surroundings for the first time; her eyes finally adjusted to the amount of light around her.

She was in what appeared to be a forest almost nostalgically reminding her of the one the church she had grown up in was situated within. The trees were tall, green, and healthy. Rocks and bushes were sparingly dispersed into the surrounding area. A peaceful wind gracefully blew passed her shuffling the leaves slightly under the cool breeze.

For the first time in years, true tears broke out of her eyes. Not in anguish over her current state, but from joy. The joy of finally breaking free.

She was in control of her body once more.

Eager to see her body again, to be one hundred percent sure she was now truly in control of it, she looked down herself. What she saw was not what she expected. What she was the body of a teenage girl draped in imperial garbs fitting the status of an empress. These regal garments consisted of clothing seemingly fit for a miko priestess, though with a gold trim, under a black, shouldered garment embroidered with a gold band around the shoulder area. Over that was a double-layered, purple band with gold couples that seemed to float around her head and body.

She reached up to grab her head and sure enough a circular object with a half-sphere above her forehead and four, long spiked piecing through the bottom of the ring lined around her head. Her hair was in a ponytail, she could feel, and when she went grasp the binds that kept her hair in place she found two, metallic bands with large spike appearing through them wrapped around her hair keeping it up.

She grasped her ponytail and gently pulled it in front of her eyes. When she saw it, she immediately let go. Gone was the blonde hair of her youth; now, in its place, was a royal purple. She quickly searched the rest of herself to see what other things she had missed. It was during this panic where she realized something that gave her goosebumps, something that gave her a terrible feeling of dread.

She couldn't feel her feet.

Slowly, tensely, she reached down and grabbed the hem of one of her hakama pant legs and hesitantly pulled her up. What she saw almost made her scream out in horror. Her feet were no longer there. In their place was not but two, golden, arrowhead-shaped pieces attached to her ankles via some doll-like components.

Her joy at her freedom was immediately washed away as the flood of realization at what truly happened to her body whenever Relius altered her. Not only was she cloned from a doll-like human but now she was one herself.

She let go of her red, hakama pants and grasped her shoulders trying to compose herself. In truth, she shouldn't have expected any less from that man.

" _Calm down, Saya,_ " she told herself. " _Be strong. You've finally got control again. Don't show weakness. Don't allow Izanami to regain control. Be strong. Be strong like brother._ "

Several times, she slowly breathed in and out, attempting to calm herself physically as well as mentally. It took some time but she finally managed to compose herself. Now she had to figure out how to stand. She couldn't remain here forever after all. She had to think. How could she move around?

How did Izanami move around?

That thought sent a shiver down her spine. As much as she hated to admit it, however, Izanami's powers and methods would definitely be helpful. Hopefully, she could utilize them. But. . . how?

Against her better judgment, she thought back to her imprisonment and what she felt within her as Izanami used her body as if it was her own. How the power of seithr was utilized within her. She could feel seithr in the air all around her so all she had to do was utilize it correctly. Imitating Izanami would be the only way she could accomplish that task quickly.

She thought back again to how the seithr flowed through her whenever she believed Izanami to be moving about. She concentrated and attempted to copy what she had felt using the seithr in the air.

Then she felt it. Slowly, she began to rise up. In her surprise about her success, she had a lapse in focus and immediately dropped back down. She giggled slightly to herself. After so much time trapped, even the slightest bit of amusement, even at her own expense, was worth that much. Again, she concentrated, maintaining her concentration this time, her body continued to ascend until she stood upright, her 'feet' not even an inch above the ground.

She tried to hold in her excitement until she could get used to this. Instead, she experimented with this new ability and found she quickly got the hang it. By leaning one way or another, she could move that direction while also utilizing the seithr to accelerate her. In truth, she was actually surprised by how fast she got the hang of it. It was quickly becoming second nature to her. Almost as if she already knew how to do it.

" _Must be muscle memory_ ," she thought bitterly.

Finally, she looked around and, to her surprise, she saw a ruined structure. It was the first sign she had seen of civilization since regaining control. It was actually a relief.

She moved closer to the structure in question to examine it.

It was a simple stone pillar, decayed by age and overgrown by moss, that stood only just as tall as her own five-foot just-under-two-inch height. She now realized that many of the stones she had initially seen around the area seemed to form a wide circle around the pillar.

It was strange if she was to be honest with herself something about this place she was in felt. . . familiar somehow. She reached forward; moving to wipe away a large clump of moss that covered the side of the pillar before her.

"These ruins do have quite the presence, don't they?" a male voice spoke out behind her in a tone that almost seemed gentle to her.

Saya gasped in surprised as she quickly turned herself and instinctually raised up her arm as a defense mechanism. Suddenly, four, crimson, dual-ringed runic circles appeared surrounding the owner of the voice each firing out a crimson chain made of seithr to impale another crimson, astral creation. This time a bubble that kept the figure in place.

She blinked, almost horrified by what she did. She just subconsciously utilized a power of what she was sure was Izanami's. Her body seemed to have been altered for the goddess more than she had originally thought.

She looked at the man and the living vessel could tell he was slightly alarmed at what just happened.

He was a middle-aged, silver-haired man that easily towered over her by over a foot. He wore a dark green suit and coat with gold-colored buttons. He had simple, shaded glasses along with a cross-shaped pin on a green cowl that was wrapped around his neck. In his hand was a cane though she had a feeling he didn't really need the help walking.

"S-sorry," Saya said nervously, speaking with her own mouth for the first time in what seemed like forever. It wasn't raspy as someone who hadn't spoken in a while, however. Chalk another one up to the embodiment of death herself controlling her. "You startled me."

She lowered her hand and the constructs faded; allowing the man to move again. She looked at the man as he collected himself. She knew that look he was giving her. He was studying her; trying to see how she worked. She remembered that masked creep doing the same to her, yet she wasn't on edge when this man did it. She couldn't sense anything malicious from him.

"I do apologize for that," he spoke evenly, finally recovering from his slight ordeal. "Would you mind, however, explaining to me what it was you just did to me?"

Saya lowered her head in shame and fear, "Er. . . I don-don't really know. . ."

The man raised an eyebrow, "You don't know how you did that?"

"Well. . ." Saya said nervously. "It's not that I don't know how I was able to do it. . . it's more how I don't know how I did it myself. . ."

He tilted his head slightly in confusion but thankfully saw that she was likely avoiding the question for a reason so dropped the subject. He lightly smiled, "Well I do believe introductions are in order, miss-?"

Saya nodded slightly but a small smile faded into view on her face, "It's common courtesy, sir, to introduce oneself before asking others for their name."

His smile grew a little bit wider at the quip and he decided to humor the young girl, "My name is Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy."

Now it was Saya's turn to tilt her head sideways in confusion, "Beacon Academy? What's that?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. Did she not know? "It's finest Huntsman Academy in Remnant, even if I do say so myself."

"Huntsman? Remnant?" Saya echoed, growing ever more confused. Izanami was the Imperator of the Novus Orbis Librarium so she picked up quite a bit during her time trapped within her own body as Izanami would often come to her for whatever terrible reason she had. During such times, she became privy to much information about the outside world, but she had never heard of such a place during any of that.

There was a silence before he responded, "Do you. . . not know what those things are?"

Saya slowly shook her head.

Ozpin placed a hand upon his chin and looked down in thought for a moment before returning her gaze to the strange girl before him, "This isn't the best place for this discussion. How about we return to my school, and then we can continue this conversation with a bit more privacy?"

Saya thought for a moment. She really had nothing to lose at this point. She needed to figure out where she was anyway, "Sure lead the way."

She approached him, gliding gently over the grass. When she was a few feet away, she looked up at him and smiled, "By the way, my name is Saya."

Ozpin again gained an intrigued look, "Well then, Miss Saya, come along now. The bullhead is waiting for us."

* * *

As the bullhead flew towards Beacon, Ozpin was once again studying this mysterious girl that he had found at a ruined site in the Emerald Forest. He had seen her on the live feeds from the cameras in the Emerald Forest while he checked to ensure they worked for the initiation the following day and so decided to go investigate himself.

What he discovered was the girl, now awake, observing the ruins she had been sleeping next to; almost as if seeing them for the first time.

When he had first seen her, her state of dress seemed oddly formal, even ceremonial, for sleeping out in the middle of a forest, but witnessing her in person he had to say she had this odd, dare he say, regal presence. Almost as if he was standing before someone of absolute importance. This was even more so odd considering she clearly didn't see that herself.

But that had only been the first thing to catch his interest about her. No, the second thing is what she did after he tried getting her attention. He found out right quick that startling this girl was not a good idea as she somehow bound him a set of crimson-red, ethereal constructs that actually completed halted his movements. He might as well have been frozen in time. He couldn't even open his mouth to speak.

" _Oh, how Glynda would love that ability_ ," he mused silently to himself before returning to his thoughts.

He'd never encountered a semblance like that before. It seemed similar to the semblances of the Schnee sisters but something just felt very. . . off about it and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Next, there was her name. Everyone in Remnant, except maybe him and 'her' had names reflecting a color or something to that effect. Saya definitely wasn't such a name. One more piece to the puzzle of her identity.

To top it all off she didn't know who he was, what Beacon was, what Huntsmen were, or even what Remnant itself was. She didn't seem to have amnesia to him either. Something else was going on, something big, and he fully intended to find out.

If nothing else but to keep this girl from falling into _her_ hands.

* * *

"Ozpin," Glynda Goodwitch said sternly. Her green eyes gleaming at him through her oval-shaped glasses. "Who is this?"

The woman in question was standing in front of the landing platform arms crossed with an equally crossed look across her face towards her boss, who had just walked out of the bullhead with some girl in tow.

Glynda was a middle-aged woman who in her heels was just slightly shorter than Ozpin himself. She wore a white, long-sleeved, pleated top with a wide, keyhole neckline along with a high-waisted, black, pencil skirt with bronze buttons. She also wore stockings and had a black and purple cape behind her.

Although she didn't, Ozpin could practically see her tapping her foot at the moment. Whether it was in irritation or impatience, he didn't know.

"Well," she stated when got no response. "Who is this girl?"

Before he could reply, however, the girl in question spoke up, "Excuse me, ma'am, but my name isn't 'girl'. My name is Saya."

The words had come in a tone that was pleaded for recognition. And it didn't seem to be the typical child-like recognition from attention either. If Ozpin didn't know any better, it was the plead for her recognition as a person. He glanced over to his subordinate; apparently, she'd picked up on that, too."

"Very well then, Saya," the female professor responded. More gently this time. "So then, why is Saya with you?"

"That Glynda," Ozpin said seriously. "Is best discussed behind closed doors. We are heading to my office. If you would—"

Glynda sighed but nodded regardless and led the way to the headmaster's office.

As they moved along, Saya couldn't help but look around at the apparent school she'd been brought to. It was certainly massive. It looked very much like a modernized castle with several towers and dome with one tower, large and taller than the rest, erect at the center of it all. Before her, the front of the massive construction was a long, stone road leading up to it circled by two rings of archways.

It was quite the impressive sight, though nothing compared to the hierarchical cities.

As they walked, she noticed many teens, many appearing to be much younger than her, heading towards the building also. Garbed in all assortments of things. Each was unique, in some way.

"Excuse me," Saya began as Ozpin and Glynda stopped to look back at the girl. "If you don't mind me asking, what's going on?"

She looked around as she asked this as if to indicate what she was referring to. It was Glynda who answered, "These are the first-year students to this academy. They are heading to gather in the auditorium for their indoctrination prior to their initiation exam tomorrow."

"Speaking of," Ozpin continued. "Once we arrive at my office we will have to briefly go and give an indoctrination speech to the students. I'll have to ask you to wait there. It should be brief so we will return shortly to continue our conversation."

Saya nodded in understanding as they continued walking towards the school. As they continued their walk Ozpin turned slightly towards Glynda and quietly inquired, "Have you noticed it yet?"

Glynda blinked in confusion, "Noticed what?"

"Her walking."

"What about it?"

"Take a look for yourself."

Glynda glanced back at the young woman, who currently was too focused on taking in the architecture of the academy and the people surrounding her to notice her staring. At first, she could pinpoint what Ozpin was talking about. And then she noticed it. Saya's legs weren't moving under her clothing, only swaying around due to the passage of air around her body as she moved. It was like she was gliding gracefully across the floor.

Glynda looked back at Ozpin, "Is she. . . levitating?"

Ozpin nodded, "That is the least of interesting facts about her. So that should give you a clue as to why I found it necessary to bring her here."

She nodded herself in reply, "It certainly is a bit enlightening."

It was then that a loud explosion in the courtyard drew the attention of the trio as they walked down the main pathway towards the school. Saya blinked, "What was that?"

Glynda's eyes narrowed, "I intend to find out right now."

With that Glynda stormed off toward the origin of the explosion. Ozpin sighed and followed quietly after her with Saya in tow as she had no intention of ditching her escort through this expansive school. And so, they proceeded towards the origin of that brief moment of chaos which was in the middle of the main pathway up to the school. There were two girls there surrounded by white suitcases with a snowflake design on each one: one was a girl in black and red nervously and guiltily touching two fingers together as the other girl, one in white, was yelling furiously at her.

They just barely managed to catch part of her rant, "You complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"She's attending Beacon because I allowed her to be, Miss Schnee," Ozpin said evenly gaining the attention of both girls.

Startled by the appearance of the huntsman and huntress, both looking rather sternly at the two, both immediately jumped around, growing a rather stiff stance as they both exclaimed, "Professor Ozpin!"

Saya nearly laugh at the sudden change in mood at the scene, but, as a sign of courtesy, she kept quiet and simply observed the two girls.

Both were clearly younger than her by at least a couple of years, the one in red and black colors even more so, despite both being relativity the same height as her.

The younger of the two girls had big, innocent, silver eyes and hair shaded in black and crimson. With a heavy, long-sleeved, black blouse, black, red-laced cincher, and a red-hemmed black skirt along with her long, red cape and hood, Saya couldn't help but muse that the color scheme reminded her of her brother. Despite the circumstances of her consciousness being stirred during that time, it had been wonderful to see what her brother looked like in present time. Honestly, the white hair looked better on him.

Speaking of white hair, the other girl, clear pride written upon her pale face even as she cowered in surprise upon the appearance of the headmaster and his aide, had such a characteristic herself that was styled in an off-center tail-bun kept in place by an icicle-shaped tiara. This along bright, blue eyes completed the icy image. With a thigh-length, strapless dress with a top-to-bottom, white-to-light-blue gradation. Over that was a white bolero with a ruffled color and colored red on the inside. At her left side, was a very fancy rapier with what appeared to her as a revolver cylinder at the center of the hilt. The most notable thing about her, however, was the scar running down from above to below her left eye.

It didn't take long for the white one to break out of her stupor to address the issue at hand, "Um, what do you mean? Isn't she too young?"

"I do not think that is your place to question the headmaster's decision," Saya could practically see the strict, female professor snarl that the question. Not surprising to her really. That question had been quite presumptuous in its delivery.

The girl stiffened, "Er. . . well. . ."

Feeling pity for the girl as she had been put on the spot, Saya had decided to speak up, "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened anyway?"

"Saya," Glynda said sternly. "It isn't your place. Stay out of this."

Saya's eyes narrowed. She had been trying to take a page out of her brother's book; how he fixed quarrels between herself and Jin when they were still children. It annoyed her immensely that this woman was so quick to stifle an obvious attempt to find a peaceful conclusion to this event. It was then that Ozpin decided to speak up again, "It was a valid question, Glynda."

"Well—" both girls spoke at the same time. Before they looked at each other confused and annoyed by the other. Saya again decided to step in again employing yet another tactic of her big brother's in solving the squabbling of his younger siblings. She pointed at the one in red and said, "Why don't you go first with no interruptions while you—"

She said this turning her hand to the one in white.

"—go afterword."

"Why shouldn't I go fire?" the girl looked annoyed and having to play second; crossing her arms in a stuck-up manner in response. Saya inwardly grumbled. If this was how she and Jin towards Ragna during those moments, she'd have to be sure to apologize to him whenever they met again.

"Does it really matter?"

The girl hmphed but nodded nonetheless. The entire time this exchange had been going on, Ozpin had been silently keeping Glynda from intervening. Indeed, even she was starting to get interested in what Saya was doing. Ozpin couldn't help but smile. It appeared that Saya was beginning to play quite the peacekeeper for his students. He'd hate to see their first day start off poorly.

With that, all eyes turned to the one in red, who nervously shrank before the attention given to her. Saya glided slowly forwards and placed her hand upon the girl's shoulder, "Sorry for putting you on the spot, but I only want a peaceful resolution. My name is Saya. What's yours?"

The girl grew a bit more comfortable and smiled lightly back, though still clearly intimidated by the older, regal-looking girl who had become the dominating force of the conversation, even more so than the headmaster himself, "Ruby."

Saya nodded, "So, Ruby. . . what happened?"

And so, slowly getting over her social anxiety and awkwardness, Ruby explained what had happened. After her older sister had all but ditched her to 'make new friends', she had accidentally stumbled into the other girl's, now identified as Weiss Schnee, heiress to a wealthy mining corporation, suitcases which were filled with bottles filled with a colored substance known as dust. Apparently, when shaking the bottle in Ruby's face in emphasis to how important and _dangerous_ it was, some of the fire dust started to spread around in a mist. When Ruby inhaled it she sneezed, thereby causing the explosion. At which point, the trio had come across the Schnee heiress ranting at Ruby about the incident.

Said heiress surprisingly confirmed much of what Ruby said those adamantly denied responsibility or fault for the incident claiming Ruby should've been more careful and not run into her things in the first place. Saya sighed placing her hands on her own hips, "Weiss, it was an accident. She didn't do it on purpose. There's no point in jumping down her throat about it."

"But—"

Saya held a finger up in a shushing manner, "No buts."

She turned to Ruby, "How about you apologize to her for knocking over her bags and accidentally blowing her up?"

"But I already," the crimsonette immediately stopped those words dead in their tracks when she saw Saya's expression. It read 'I do not care just do as I say'. "Sorry, Weiss for knocking over your things. . . and blow you up."

Weiss was about to make an angry retort when she, too, was silenced by the glower on the violet-haired girl's face. Weiss swallowed. There was something very terrifying in the glare of hers. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but it spoke volumes to Weiss that disobeying this girl was likely far worse of an idea than disrespecting the professors that stood behind her. "A-apology accepted. Now, let's go."

With that Weiss gathered her things and walked off, still irritated but containing it rather well. Ozpin and Glynda shared a knowing glance before the former spoke, "That was handled quite well, Miss Saya. You have experience defusing situations, I take it."

Saya nervously laughed a bit before answering, "No, I just did what my older brother did whenever myself and my other brother were fighting."

Ozpin nodded in understanding, "Your brother seems to have had quite the influence on you."

Saya's smile dropped, remembering the harsh reality of her broken family's situation, "Yeah, he sure is."

Both professors instantly noticed the sudden change of the mood and expertly decided to drop the topic. Luckily, they were saved from this mistake by Ruby finally speaking up, "Um. . . excuse me. . ."

Saya turned around to face Ruby again, slightly curious as to what the younger girl wanted, "Yes?"

"Um. . . thanks for helping me. . . and defending me. . . I, well, oh—stupid awkwardness I—"

Ruby was quieted when Saya held up her hand, "Think nothing of it."

There was a slight silence before Ruby again spoke up, "So, uh, can we maybe – possibly – be. . . friends?"

Saya smiled and held out a hand to Ruby, "Sure. Friends."

Ruby smiled and shook hands before Ozpin cleared his throat to regain the teenagers' attention, "As charming as this whole thing has been I do believe you have a ceremony to be getting to, Miss Rose."

"Oh, shoot! I had better be going! Nice meeting you, Saya!" and with that Ruby sped off, to Saya's surprise, with lightning fast speed and a trail of rose petals following behind her. "Huh, didn't expect that."

"I don't see how we're going to have time to take Saya up to your office now because of how much time was just wasted," Glynda stated, clearly annoyed. "We have to get to the ceremony ourselves, too, Ozpin."

"Why don't I just observe the ceremony with your first-year students, then?" Saya spoke up. "You said it was going to be brief and if you don't have the time to drop me off then I can sit in as well. It's not like I really have anywhere else I can go."

Once more, the two professors glanced at each other, a very knowing look in their eyes, as they had both caught the likely double-meaning of Saya's words. They nodded as the female spoke up, "Then we will take you to the entrance of the auditorium and meet you afterward."

* * *

After walking for a few more minutes, they had reached the wide opening to the auditorium and the two professors had left her to prepare for the speech. Alone, Saya began to wander the expansive room, looking for a place to stand and observe the coming ceremony. It was then that a familiar voice called out to her, "Saya!"

Saya looked towards the direction the voice was coming from and saw Ruby waving at up to come over.

" _Well, that was convenient_ ," Saya thought to herself before gliding slowly over to Ruby, who was smiling broadly at her. Next to her was a buxom blonde who was clearly older than Ruby.

The long-haired, blonde girl was a few inches taller than both her and Ruby with lilac eyes and fair skin. She wore a brown jacket that was short enough to show off her midriff over a yellow, low-cut crop-top with a symbol of a flaming heart on her left breast. Included in her wardrobe were also mini, black shorts, a brown belt with pleated leather pieces going around her backside, and an asymmetrical, white piece that reached her right knee. Along with that, she wore knee-high boots, orange knee-high socks, and a purple bandanna right below her left knee. Around her neck was an orange, infinity scarf.

Most notable in her eyes, however, were the bulky, yellow 'bracelets' around her wrists over her black, biker gloves. Somehow, she got the feeling those weren't bracelets at all.

"So, sis, who's this?" the girl spoke up clearly interested in who Ruby called over.

Saya blinked, " _Sis? Are they sisters? I would never have guessed that._ "

"This is Saya," Ruby said enthusiastically. "She stood up for me after I exploded."

The girl snorted, "Exploded."

Ruby huffed in response, "Yes, exploded! Because you ditched me!"

"I didn't ditch you," the older of the two siblings said while holding up her hands defensively. "I just left you alone so you could try making friends on your own."

"In other words, you ditched her," Saya bluntly stated as a smirk melted onto her face. Ruby snickered at Yang's expense.

"Anyway, the name's Yang," the girl now introduced herself, holding out her hand. "I'm Ruby's older sister."

"So, I figured," Saya says taking a hold of the girl's hand. "Pleasure."

The sound of a mic and the clearing of a man's throat got their attention as up on the stage Professor Ozpin stood before the gathered crowd of students with his aide, Professor Goodwitch standing behind him off his left.

"I'll. . . keep this brief," the headmaster began. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge— to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

She listened on in interest; curious as to where Ozpin was going with this.

"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose – direction," Ozpin continued, sparing a glance at Saya. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far."

The violet-haired vessel cocked her head slightly as if trying to make sense of the man's riddles.

"It is up to you to take the first step."

With that, he walked off the stage with Glynda take his position in front of the mic, "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Saya blinked, " _I know it was supposed to be brief but. . ._ "

"He seemed kind of. . . off," Yang commented. Her little sister shook her head in agreement, "Almost like he wasn't even there. . ."

Saya could somewhat agree with that sentiment, but she had to meet up with the two that had just left. After all, that was the deal. As she floated off, however, the crimsonette spoke up from behind her, "Hey, where are you going?"

Saya spared a glance backward, "I still need to speak with Ozpin about something. . . personal. Perhaps we'll see each other again later?"

Ruby nodded reluctantly as Saya continued onward to meet with probably the only person who could give her answers as to what was going on.

As she exited the auditorium, however, she was briefly halted.

She felt something dark stir within her. She clutched her chest; almost as if she was having a heart attack. She felt a power ripple through her very soul. A power that consumed life and enveloped all in its wake into an eternal darkness. One that sought to devour all life and allow not but the endless void of death and nothingness to remain.

She felt the bloodlust. The fury within her. The fury directed at her usurpation of her body. The fury at those still living. And the terrible desire for omnicide of the highest caliber.

But then, just like that, it was over. All though horrific feelings that filled her with dread and despair all vanished in an instant. But the event alarmed Saya. She knew what it meant. What that coursing darkness was that awoke within her. And it made her afraid. Very afraid. She had hoped she had had more time, but alas it was not meant to be. Not with what was happening.

Izanami was finally stirring.

Exhaling a breath she hadn't even known she was holding, she moved forward. She had to meet with Ozpin again. If he proved trustworthy, he might now be her only hope to stave off the inevitable onslaught of death that was soon going to be trying desperately to take hold of her once again.

As of right now, he might be the only chance she had of preventing the death goddess's return.

Of preventing the Day of Reckoning.

* * *

 **Okay, so that's the first chapter. Hope you all like it. Constructive criticism is encouraged as I have never written a RWBY or Blazblue fanfiction before. Actually, I've never written a true crossover before.**

 **Please let me know if I was true enough, you think, to the characters. I want to be as accurate as I can, after all. I'll likely come back again at some point after I have gathered the critiques to change and refine what I feel needs to be.**

 **Until then, thanks again. Please read and review!**

 **~Omniczar**


	2. What to Do with You

**Disclaimer – I do not own either Blazblue or RWBY. They are owned by Arc Systems and Roosterteeth respectively.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _"Thoughts"_

 **Aura/Semblance/Drive/Etc**

 ** _"Izanami Mental Speaking"_**

 **Chapter 2 – What to Do with You**

* * *

Saya sat across from Ozpin on one side of his crescent-shaped, glass-topped desk sitting in a curved, white chair. Ozpin was also sitting in a similar chair, though it was clearly more fixed than her own, on his side of his desk. Behind him, stood Professor Goodwitch staring at her intently.

Ignoring the gazes of the two faculty members of Beacon, Saya couldn't help but admire the design of the room she was in. It was quite open an expansive with a large design made up of different types of building materials and pillars evenly distributed around the circular edge of the room, each interconnected by windows viewing the wide expanse of Beacon Academy. The only exceptions were the side behind Ozpin, which was a wall with a glass clock-face in the center of it, and behind her side where the two elevators to reach the top of the tower were.

Above her head was a glass ceiling with massive cogs continuously turning and spinning overhead with the top of the spiral tower over them. Considering how many times she had helped the sister clean the church she had grown up in, she could also appreciate how clean the office was as well as the school in general.

"Now Miss Saya," the headmaster began drawing her attention towards him. "What do you actually know about the world we live in?"

An odd question to be sure, even his aide seemed perplexed and confused by the implications of it, but Saya completely understood why he asked that, "Other than what you've told me, I don't know anything. Up until I met you I hadn't heard of Remnant or Beacon or of huntsmen."

Glynda blinked in surprised while Ozpin nodded, "They allow me to fill you in."

Saya nodded and listened.

"You are currently in one of the four kingdoms of Remnant, Vale," Ozpin began. "Each kingdom has a huntsman academy dedicated to training the next generation of huntsmen, the defenders of Remnant, to protects its people."

"Defend them from what? Invaders?" Saya asked perplexed.

"Not too far from the truth, I'm afraid. Creatures of darkness known as Grimm ravage the land killing anyone in the wake. Time and again they've brought down kingdoms and civilizations. Only the four kingdoms and a few outlying villages remain, and that number is dwindling fast. Huntsmen and huntresses are trained to fight off the Grimm and to protect its people."

"Creatures of darkness?" Saya tilted her head in confusion. "Where did they come from? What do they look like?"

"They are creatures who are entirely black in form save for glowing, red eyes and bone-like armaments. As for where they come from, we aren't entirely sure nor does it really matter at this point in time."

"But wouldn't knowing their origin help in defeating them?"

"We are in no position to launch a strike into the unknown for a mere chance we can find out something we may or may not be able to use," Glynda reprimanded her for the question. "Right now, we just need to allow the continued survival of our people."

Saya tilted her head down so that her royal-colored hair covered her eyes. She thought back the prison of her own body. She survived there, but what did merely surviving accomplish? What would have happened if she hadn't struggled and broken free at the first opportunity?

" _Doomsday_ ," Saya bitterly thought to herself. While as long as Izanami existed in the world, the Day of Reckoning was inevitable, at the very least she could delay it until a solution for dealing with the goddess was found. But still, she knew simply surviving wasn't enough to defeat the darkness. "You can only survive for so long. If you don't even try to find a way to stop the darkness from consuming you, eventually you find yourself unable to break free by yourself."

Glynda was stunned by the response. Despite her apparent young age and her ignorance to the truths of the world, this girl was likely more mature and worldly than most people her age. And her response and body language almost certainly pointed to experience in a similar scenario, " _And considering the aggrieved response, it was likely rather recent._ "

Ozpin noticed this as well but unlike Glynda decided to tactfully probe the issue, "Miss Saya, if it's uncomfortable for you I understand, but I'd like to know. . ."

Saya looked up; red-ringed eyes meeting brown as she acknowledged she was listening intently to what he was about to ask.

". . . what did you break free from?"

Silence dominated the room after the question was voiced. A soundless echo reverberated around the three people within the open room. Slowly, Saya arose from her chair and gently floated over to the window on her far right. She stared out over the landscape before her. She almost appeared afraid to speak.

Glynda looked at Ozpin as he, too, arose from his chair and slowly walked, cane in hand, behind her. A sense of pity filled her as she saw the clearly-broken girl gazing at the sun as afternoon slowly began to turn to twilight. She almost glared at Ozpin for pressing the issue.

Even so, Ozpin again spoke up to press the issue. This time, however, his tone was gentle, almost fatherly, as if he was trying to convey to her that he wanted to help her, "I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories, Saya. . . but I only wish to help you."

Saya didn't respond immediately but eventually, "It's not that I don't want the help, headmaster. . . I-I know I need it. I can't do this alone. . . but, I'm afraid. . ."

"Afraid of what?" Glynda inquired, finally joining Ozpin behind the royally-garb, young woman.

"Afraid you won't believe me. . ."

Glynda and Ozpin shared a knowing look. A typical response sadly, children afraid others won't believe them if they say they're hurting. They knew, despite anything that was about to be said, they had to support her. The huntress placed a hand on the girl's shoulder in support, "No matter how unbelievable of a tale you may tell, we will believe you."

Again, silence reigned, before Saya finally decided to tell her story, "I wasn't always alone. . . I had two, older brothers: Ragna and Jin. We were orphans. I don't really know what happened to our parents. . . or what happened before— well, we were taken in at a church by the sister who lived there. I don't know what happened before that. The sister took care of us for a while, raising us as her children, before. . . he came. . ."

"He. . .?" Ozpin's eyes narrowed. This wasn't going to end well.

"A man named Yūki Terumi," Saya spat, and for the first time since they had met, hatred and anger pour from the girl. Her hate was practically palpable within the room, startling the huntsmen. Instinctual alarms were going off in their heads warning them of the imminent danger. "He killed the sister who took care of us for so long! He burned down the church we had been living in! Our childhood home! And then he tricks Jin into cutting off Ragna's arm with a sword! And then. . . and then. . ."

Tears began to form in Saya's eyes as the traumatic events of that day played over again in her mind. She forced herself through it. If they were going to help her, they deserved to know what they were getting themselves into. The huntress and huntsman had lost their words at Saya's descriptions at what had happened. Even more so, from the sound of it, it was only going to get worse.

"He kidnapped me! He took me away from my brother! And he-he gave me to _that_ man. . . and he turned me into. . . turned me _this_. . ."

She finished by raising her hands before her as if to look at them in disgust. By now she was practically sobbing.

"He did _this_ to me. . ."

"Did. . . what. . .?" Glynda swallowed, almost too afraid to even ask. She was practically getting sick to her stomach even thinking about it.

"He turned me into this. . . _doll_. . ."

With that, she dropped as if whatever force had been keeping her aloft sudden completely vanished. Glynda and Ozpin were on their knees next to her instantly, checking to see if she was alright.

"Doll?" Ozpin asked, eyes shown in disbelief at the claim.

Saya nodded, and slowly, hesitantly, she reached for the hem of her red hakama and pulled it up revealing to the huntsmen the state of her 'feet'.

Glynda's hand went to her mouth to stifle an 'Oh my—' while Ozpin gazed upon the girl in sorrow. What a terrible fate for anyone, much less a child.

"Why would he do that to you?" Now Glynda really did feel sick. What that man must have done to that poor girl's body if the current state of her 'feet' were any indication as to what had happened to the rest of her.

"To turn me into _her_ vessel," Saya said bitterly with also a slight twinge of fear, almost as if she was afraid of who that word was referring to.

" _Her_?!" Glynda and Ozpin both spoke up in alarm. Their minds had instantly had come to a singular conclusion. This girl couldn't possibly be referring to Salem. . . could she? But almost as if she was relieving them of their fears, Saya clarified, "Izanami."

Glynda and Ozpin breathed out a slight sigh of relief. So if it wasn't Salem. But if not her, then who else could she be referring to?

"And Izanami is. . .?" the bespectacled, female teacher asked. Curious as Ozpin likely was as to who this girl was made a vessel for.

"The Goddess of Death."

The reply was so blunt, so empty of emotion, that the two adults nearly missed the importance of that statement. But after a second, the impact of the revelation slowly swept over them like an icy cold flood as a chill crawled eerily up their spines. The Goddess of Death? They'd never heard of such a thing. Surely, she must have misspok—

"You didn't mishear me," Saya replied still lacking emotion in her tone after her declaration. "I was made to be the vessel of Hades Izanami, the Goddess of Death. The very embodiment of death in the world. In his words, I was the only one capable of doing it. Anyone else would have been destroyed instantly upon her possessing them."

The two were speechless. What could they possibly say? This revelation would likely change everything. Their mission. Their strategies. Everything.

"I was trapped in my own body for so long—a prisoner to her—I was convinced I'd be a slave to myself forever," despair was creeping back into Saya's tone as she remembered the over a decade of hell she had been trapped within. "But a light had shown through. I don't know what caused it but I don't care. I took the opportunity. . . and now I'm in control again."

A ghost of a smile found its way onto Saya's face. She clenched her fists lightly to reassure herself that she could still feel with her own two hands. Before a frown returned, signaling that the dark truth still remained and that she hadn't forgotten it.

"But. . . I can already feel her stirring again. I-I'm afraid. . . that it is only a matter of time before she takes control again. . . and next time. . . I don't think I'm coming back. . ."

Glynda couldn't hold herself back anymore. The trauma and tribulations this girl had been through had simply been too much. Surprising Ozpin by her motherly action, she wrapped her arms around the poor girl and pulled her into her torso to comfort her. As she began to quietly sob, Glynda gave a look of grief towards Ozpin. Neither of them knew what to say or do. This whole thing was beyond either of them.

This girl who hid the truth of her emotional state so well earlier had now due to a desperate desire for their help and released the floodgates and have revealed to both of them the shattered, tortured girl that existed just below the surface.

Exhausted from essentially reliving her most torturous moments, Saya finally lulled herself to sleep. Glynda offered and proceeded to take the sleeping girl to one of the vacant first-year rooms intending fully to, at least for the moment, keep her away from the would-be students.

After Glynda left with the sleeping vessel, Ozpin returned to his chair contemplating how to proceed after this terrible revelation. The full weight of what had been revealed to him tonight fell upon him.

That girl had essentially been experimented on, transformed into what was essentially a doll, and forced to act as the vessel for the Goddess of Death to act upon the world.

"Hades Izanami," Ozpin spoke, trying out the name on his tongue. What sort of madman would try to summon such a being? For what purpose could such an act possibly accomplish? And why Saya? Why some random, orphan girl? That was when something Saya had said suddenly began to echo through his mind. Something that immediately answered the question he had just asked himself:

' _In his words, I was the only one capable of doing it. Anyone else would have been destroyed instantly upon her possessing them._ '

He hadn't caught it the first time but the reasoning was sound enough. Having the embodiment of death possess, even if you had been transformed into what essentially amounted to an object to contain it, likely wouldn't end well for any living thing. So what made Saya so different? Why didn't Izanami possessing Saya instantly destroy her like it would anyone else?

" _This rabbit hole is growing ever deeper. . ._ " Ozpin thought to himself. " _Now, what am I going to do with her?_ "

What to do indeed. Saya herself told them that she could feel the death goddess trying to surface again. She was scared. If Izanami retook control, Saya's fate would likely be worse than death. But at the same time, Ozpin essentially had the avatar of death currently sleeping in his school. A dangerous position to be sure.

But even so, the aged headmaster could not abandon the poor girl. She had practically relived the worst moments in her life to explain to them the desperate situation she was in. She was scared for her life and for good reason.

No, Ozpin could not—would not—leave the poor girl to her fate.

With that, his decision became final.

* * *

Saya slept peacefully with the weight of her ordeals finally off her chest. She only hoped and prayed that Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch would be able to help her in some way; if nothing else but to keep her sane.

Slowly, her eyes parted with a satisfied, thin smile gracing her features. Almost instantly, such feelings of relief were torn straight from her mind as she awoke to swirling maelstrom of darkness rising around her like the flames of a roaring inferno. Her eyes widened as far as they could as she struggled against an invisible force holding her down. She tried to scream, anything that would draw attention, but to no avail.

" ** _I do not know how you managed to retake control, child_** ," a voice that sounded eerily similar to her own echoed around her. The emotionless yet somehow taunting tone of the female voice sent a wave of terror over the poor, trapped girl. " ** _But don't think for an instant that you are free_**."

Saya's struggling became more and more fierce. She had to break free. If she didn't, she knew something terrible would happen.

" ** _I'm still here, Saya. Despite this set back it will only be a matter of time before I myself retake control_**."

Saya tried to stop the tears forming in her eyes. She could show her any more weakness.

" ** _You were made to be my vessel, after all._** "

Slowly, an exact copy of her current form appeared through the torrent before her smiling sinisterly at her predicament.

" ** _I have all eternity. The Day of Reckoning cannot be stopped._** "

Saya's eyes widened in horror as the face of her copy transformed in a ghastly, smiling skull with hands melt into bone as they grasped the sides of her head. The disturbing visage was soon before her practically laughing at her terror as skull-like faces arose from the blaze of black flame swirling about her. The bone-chilling, distorted screams of dying people filled the air as her decayed countenance whispered mockingly to her.

" ** _You cannot escape from death._** "

* * *

Saya awoke with a scream immediately jumping up. Her right hand immediately found its way to her heart to which it desperately attempted to cling to as best it could. She scrambled to gain control of her breathing which was on the verge of hyperventilating.

With several minutes of loosely-controlled inhaling and exhaling, she finally managed to calm her breathing down. After she had calmed down from her panic attack, she broke down crying. Her arms encircled around and face buried in her knees.

That had felt too real. Izanami's presence was already so strong. How could she possibly hope to stand against her? If she hadn't woken up. . .

She heard a door open somewhere ahead of where she was facing, the sound of someone moving rapidly towards her, and then two comforting hand on her shoulders.

"Saya!" the worried voice of Professor Goodwitch reached her ears. "I was just coming to see if you were awake and I heard you scream. Are you alright? What happened?"

For what seemed like forever, only sobs could be heard in the room. Sobs of a broken, terrified girl. Finally, a single word managed to escape from Saya's lips, but that single word provided all the answer that the woman next to her needed.

"Izanami."

A shudder ran through the professor's body. That single word, now that she knew what—or who—it referred to, held a terrible weight upon it. Saya didn't even need to describe what had happened. Glynda simply knew the nightmare this girl had just gone through. Thinking of nothing else that she could do, she once again wrapped her arms around the girl in comfort.

Minutes passed before she finally calmed down enough for Glynda to release her hold on the girl so that they stare face to face with each other.

"Alright, let's get you up and ready. We have a busy day today," Glynda said in an almost motherly tone. "First things first. Ozpin wishes to speak with you before initiation begins."

Saya nodded and, with the Goodwitch's help, slowly got out of bed. It was then that Saya finally noticed her state of dress. It was mostly still the same except the shouldered, black haori, the purple cloth that wrapped over her outfit, and her golden crown were not on her but instead on a desk up against a window that was centered in the room she was in.

The room itself was pretty much a dorm room with four beds, white walls, a single window, and two doors. One of the doors was on her right which she assumed was to a restroom and one in front of her which she knew left outside as that is the same door the professor entered from.

Before Saya left her bed, she looked down, almost ashamed, before speaking, "I'm. . . sorry. I know I wanted your help but—"

A finger to the lips silenced her self-loathing speech; her eyes widening at the teacher.

"Don't apologize," Glynda said. "I'm a strict, stern woman, but that does not make me heartless. I know when to drop that side of me. You don't need a disciplinarian right now, so I will not act like one."

Saya smiled, growing ever more thankful for this teacher, "Thank you."

Glynda returned the smile and nodded, "Now, let's not keep the headmaster waiting."

* * *

"Ah, Saya," Ozpin said cheerfully as the fully-dressed doll and his aide exited the elevator to his office. "I hope you had a good sle—"

He cuts himself off when he sees Glynda urgently motioning not to finish that statement. Something bad obviously happened. He raised an inquiring eyebrow; silently signaling to Glynda as if to ask what happened. Her answer was exaggeratingly mouthing 'Izanami'. He nodded and changed the subject, "Anyway, please sit, I have a couple more questions for you."

Izanami nodded and glided again over to the chair to take a seat. Glynda stood right behind her.

"Now then, Saya, how old are you?"

"I. . . don't know."

"You don't?"

"I'm an orphan. My earliest memory was waking up in the church with my brothers after the sister took us in."

"Can you try to give me an estimation?"

Saya thought for a moment before she answered, "Well, I think I was probably six or seven when I was. . . kidnapped. . . so now I'm probably—um—around 18 maybe 19 years old?"

Glynda and Ozpin stiffened. Had she been a prisoner in her own body for over a decade? Or even worse she hadn't been a prisoner that long but had been horribly experimented on to turn her into that death goddess's vessel all that time?

" _The more we learn about what she's gone through_ ," Glynda thought, practically shaking. " _The less I want to know. I couldn't even imagine. . ._ "

Ozpin let out an 'hmm' then continued, "18 to 19? Then, we may have a problem."

Saya blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Generally speaking, students enter this academy at around 17. Miss Rose, who you met yesterday, is really the only exception to the rule as she was allowed in two year earlier to most students."

"Really? She must be quite the prodigy then."

"Perhaps," Glynda said, hands moving to her hips. "But she still has a lot of growing up to do."

"So, because of your age. . . what should we do with you?"

Saya was quiet. She honestly didn't know what she could do at this point in time. She was just barely too old to join as a student. Even if she wasn't, she wasn't eager to overuse any of Izanami's abilities; fearing she might summon forth the goddess herself by mistake.

"I. . . don't know. . ." she spoke up nervously. She was afraid of his response.

"Really? Because I do."

Saya blinked. That certainly wasn't the response she was expecting.

"I can see you formed a bond with my aide," he said smiling slyly at said aide, who, embarrassed, turned her head to face away from her boss. "And being both a professor and my aide can make her quite busy. Since I have no attention of throwing you to the wolves I feel the best place for you would be assisting Glynda in whatever she needs. I trust you don't have much of a problem with that?"

Saya smiled, relieved, "I'd be happy to help out wherever I can. . . "

She then turned to Glynda with the same smile on her face, ". . . If you want me to, of course."

Glynda couldn't help but let a smirk form on her face as she glanced at her boss and said, "Considering how much of his work Ozpin dumps on me I suppose I could use the help."

Ozpin grumbled in annoyance, "Glynda. . ."

It was then that a gentle laugh filled the air. It was simple but to the two of them probably the most beautiful thing they had ever heard. Saya was laughing. For the first time since the incident that had ruined her life, she was laughing. After so much anguish, after so much fear, after being so close to being broken, she felt joy again. And it was the most wonderful feeling she had ever experienced.

Glynda and Ozpin smiled to themselves. Happy to see that they had managed to bring a genuine joy to her.

Finally, Saya stopped laughing and stood up to face her new boss, "So, what's my first task, ma'am?"

* * *

 **Not as long as the first chapter but still a pretty decent length I feel. I know these are coming out pretty quickly but don't expect that all the time. My job is sort of hit and miss when it comes to off-time for me to do things like this. But I'll continue to do my best. Again, don't expect chapters to always come out this fast. Anyone who knows me knows it depends on a lot of factors.**

 **Also, don't worry about the fact that the whole 'different worlds' aspect hasn't been brought up yet by either side or how the Blazblue verse hasn't been mentioned at all. I haven't forgotten but we can't have all the revelations in one day after all.**

 **Hope you all have enjoyed and as always please read and review!**

 **~Omniczar**

* * *

 **Response to Reviews**

 **Dread Grim Reaper –** Thank you! I'm trying my best.


	3. Secrets Below

**Disclaimer – I do not own either Blazblue or RWBY. They are owned by Arc Systems and Roosterteeth respectively.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _"Thoughts"_

 **Aura/Semblance/Drive/Etc**

 ** _"Izanami Mental Speaking"_**

 **Chapter 3 – Secrets Below**

* * *

Atop cliff they had gathered upon was wide open with naught but a few, scant trees and boulders darting the top of the cliff until much further back where the tree line of a forest began. A set of first-year students stood upon stone plates which each had, as Saya learned, the symbol of Beacon Academy engraved upon them. She recognized Ruby, Weiss, and Yang from yesterday's festivities, but there were several that she didn't.

Saya stood next to Professor Goodwitch on her left side while, like in the auditorium the previous day, also stood to the left of and slightly behind Ozpin dressed slightly down from what she had been previously wearing. She wasn't wearing the crown, nor was she wearing the black, shouldered haori, nor the purple article of clothing that wrapped around her over both. She wasn't playing Imperator anymore and she knew that was a bit much for a teacher's aide. Instead, she stored the remaining parts of her outfit in what was now officially her room. She could always wear it to make her current wardrobe look more formal if need be.

In truth, Saya didn't really need to be there. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch didn't need the extra help for the initiation. In fact, it was probably overkill facility-wise that she was even here. However, that wasn't why she was brought along. There were actually several other reasons for this decision.

One, after the morning's incident with Saya's 'nightmare', Glynda outright refused to let the poor girl out her sight. The looming threat of the goddess of death attempting to continuously break Saya's will haunted the teacher. In the brief time she had gotten to know Saya, she had grown attached to her, almost inexplicably so. While she would never admit Ozpin was right on this particular issue, she knew what he said rang true. She had grown almost a motherly protectiveness of the tortured girl. She didn't know how. She didn't know why. But above all, she didn't care. She guessed her attachment is what got her Saya as an assistant in the first place.

The second reason was far less personal and far more professional than the previous one. With Saya's sheer ignorance on how the world of Remnant worked, not that either teacher really blamed her for it, it was a good idea to see what it was she'd be dealing with. This was a combat school after all so it'd make sense she got to see not just the students fight to get a better understanding of what kind of skill was expected but also to see what they would be fighting. She hadn't known what Grimm were and hadn't had anything really to base the sheer threat they posed to the world other than the description from Ozpin. Therefore, it had been decided she attend the initiation.

It also just so happened to be the perfect opportunity to introduce her to at least the first-years as Professor Goodwitch's assistant.

"Greeting, students," Professor Ozpin started. "I hope you are well-rested and ready for today's initiation."

"Before we begin," Glynda continued. "There is someone here I would like to introduce to you all. This is Saya and she will be my assistant this year."

The three girls who had met Saya the previous day had their eyes widen in surprise. They had been talking to a teacher's aide yesterday? Hope they made a good impression.

"When you speak to her you will do so with the same respect as you would myself," the professor said sternly. "Her word is my word. To disregard what she says is to disregard what I say. Do you all understand?"

They all nodded in agreement, though some more begrudgingly than others.

"With that now settled," Ozpin spoke up again as he once again began his speech to the students. "For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now," Glynda spoke up again, continuing where her boss left off. Saya smiled. It really was amazing to see how much of a history these two teachers had together to be able to work off each other so well even if was something as simple as giving directions to students. "I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion."

That definitely got the students' attention. Glynda had explained to Saya on their way here kind of the basis of teams and how they worked so she already knew what the announcement was. She was more interested in the reaction of the students themselves.

"Each of you will be given teammates. Today."

The vessel of Izanami saw the expression on Ruby's face change from interest to worry. She could practically hear the 'oh no' from her lips.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin stated, continuing where Glynda had left off. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Saya practically saw the physical representation of Ruby's world shattering like glass at the announcement as a resounding "WHAT?!" escape the poor girl's lips.

She felt a little bad for the socially awkward girl, but nothing could be done about it now.

"See? I told you," shouted a girl down the line to the male next to her.

The girl was just barely shorter than herself with bright, orange-colored hair and jade eyes. Her wardrobe was a bit of a mismatch to say the least with a black vest, white, sleeveless shirt with a heart cutout above her chest, pink skirt, and bits of armor scattered from her shoulders to her waist. Her demeanor was very excitable. At least it seemed that way to Saya.

The boy next to her, personality-wise, was the total opposite of her. He had black, long hair tied in a ponytail with a single streak of magenta hair going down the left side of his head. He had magenta eyes that always seemed to be intently studying whatever he was looking at. The clothing he wore included a dark green, diagonally-buttoned, long-sleeved tailcoat that is red on the inside, with black and gold trimming and pink cuffs. The trimming goes down the right side of his torso and forms a black collar. Along with this was a pair of white trousers, as well. Unlike the others, he already had his weapons in his hands: a pair of green pistols with green sickle blades at the ends of the barrels on both of them.

Ignoring the orange-haired girl's comment, Ozpin continued, "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path or you will die."

Saya stifled an awkward chuckle at that. What else could she realistically do after such a blunt statement? She heard a gulp from one student and saw the orange-haired girl give an oddly-cheery smile to the boy she had been talking to earlier.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

That was when the boy who had gulped earlier at the threat of death spoke up. He was quite a bit taller than her, blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a black hoodie with jeans along with shoulder plates and a small chest plate as armor. In a sheath on his left side was an old-fashioned sword. Fingerless, brown gloves dawned his hands, one of which to try and gain the attention of the headmaster, "Yeah, um, sir—"

"Good," Ozpin interrupted him, completely ignoring the question. "Now take your positions."

The students got into confident positions. Some fighting ones. Some not. But the blond-haired boy still held his hand slightly up, clearly nervous, "Um, excuse me, sir, I—um—have a question. . ."

One student was launched.

"So, this. . . landing strategy thing. . . uh, wh-what is it? You're dropping us off or something?"

"No," Ozpin said bluntly. The launching continued with the second and third student. "You will be falling."

The boy's expression turned to one of confusion as he rubbed his head, "Oh, I see. Er. . . like did you hand out parachutes for us?"

Saya sighed and shook her head as more students were launched, "No, we did not."

"Er, uh. . . but how do we—?"

"You're smart and skilled enough to get into this school, aren't you?" Saya politely inquired as finally Yang and her sister were launched. "Certainly, you can think up your own landing strategy."

"Oh, so what exactly is a landing strateGEEEEEEEEeeeeee~~" His question turned into a squeal as he was launching flying into the air joining the other students in their flight over the forest. Ozpin, Glynda, and Saya watched them fly off with the former taking a nonchalant sip of his coffee.

"For the record," Saya began causing the older, two adults to look at her curiously. She looked at them, hands on her hips and a smirk obvious on the features of her face. "My first batch of paperwork that you inevitably dump on me better not have anything to do with his death."

Ozpin grinned slightly at the comment, "I make no promises."

* * *

"Oh, wow," Saya said, watching the screens on the large scroll. She was observing the students fight the creatures of darkness, the Grimm, that Ozpin had mentioned. The description he gave was certainly accurate though. Pitch black in form be it scale or fur, fiery red eyes glowing with hate, and bone-like structures acting as armor plating for them; quite the intimidating sight to be sure. An involuntary shudder raked through her at the sight of the wolf Grimm: Beowolves, as the professors had called them. They reminded her of the day the black wolf attacked her as a child.

The day everything started rolling downhill.

Still, the students were certainly impressive. Each were unique in the armament and skills, reminding her a lot of the stories of vigilantes she had heard or even the tale of the Six Heroes. As the students fought, little by little the partnerships began to form. Ruby had ended up partners with Weiss, whom she had had the argument with the day prior. The red-hooded girl's sister, Yang, had ended up paired with a black-haired girl with a black-and-white color scheme. She really didn't know the other students, so she mentally made a note to herself to ask either Glynda or Ozpin about them later.

Even still, their combat abilities were very impressive. Hearing about the skill required to get in was certainly one thing, but seeing it was something completely different. Yang's introduction of flying over the forest with what Saya guessed to be gauntlets that fired shotgun shells, Weiss with her strange glyphs that formed to aid her, even Ruby. . . honestly, she didn't know what to expect from the socially-awkward yet infectiously-cheerful girl but a giant, red scythe and a speed that she had a hard time even seeing was certainly not what she expected.

Truth be told, she was wondering how they were doing that. The seithr in the air maybe? Perhaps it was a Drive?

It was then that Glynda walked back over to where Ozpin and Saya were standing at the edge of the cliff; both watching the large scroll to see the status of the students. Though Saya was more so watching a show than she was actually doing anything in line with her position. She, too, was still learning so neither professor saw a problem with that.

When Glynda arrived next to Ozpin and Saya, she began to speak, "Our last pair has formed, sir: Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy. I can't possibly imagine those two getting along. Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos."

"Hmm?" Ozpin said, sparing a glance at his subordinate.

"I don't care what his transcripts say that Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat."

"Is that the boy from earlier who was asking about landing strategy?" Saya asked, perplexed.

"Yes, his name is Jaune Arc."

"What do his transcripts say anyway?" Saya asked curiously before retracting it in almost a panicked tone. "If it's alright for me to know, of course."

"It's fine," Glynda calmed her. "You are my assistant, after all."

The fact that those words had been spoken with pride didn't go over either of the two standing next to the female professor. Said professor then proceeded to pull up the boy's, Jaune's, transcripts.

"It says he's a capable fighter and a quick learner. I don't see it, but I suppose we shall soon see."

"I definitely don't see it," Saya remarked slightly annoyed. "Especially if his 'landing strategy' was anything to go by."

She, of course, was referring to the fact that Jaune's 'landing strategy' was to not have one. He had been saved by the red-haired girl's, Miss Nikos she reminded herself, javelin. Her aim, her landing, her alertness; she definitely was a capable fighter, unlike her sorry partner.

The two females could hear Ozpin chuckle, "Are you two sure you aren't mother and daughter?"

His smile grew even more when the two glared at him for the comment. Saya sighed. At least he didn't know she originally was blonde and had green eyes herself. They'd likely never hear the end of it.

"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask," Saya spoke up, breaking the moment to gain the ears of Glynda and Ozpin. "How are they using those impressive moves? Is it seithr?"

The two professors glanced at each other, both trying to see if the other recognized the unfamiliar word. Neither did.

" _And so, the rabbit hole gets even deeper_ ," Ozpin thought before replying to the girl's question. "Aura is the manifestation of the soul acting as a shield, a healer, and an offensive tool for those whom it's been unlocked for. How the students are utilizing it, like Miss Schnee with her glyphs as you saw, is by use of their semblance, an innate, personal power unique to the individual and manifested by one's inner nature."

"Really?" Saya asked surprised. "They're not using the seithr in the air?"

Glynda and Ozpin spared another glance before Glynda hesitantly asked, "Saya, what exactly is this 'seithr'?"

Saya's eyes widened significantly from that revelation. She practically began shaking at the thoughts running through her head. She didn't know what was going on. Seithr was everywhere in the world; the Black Beast made sure of that. So. . . how. . . ?

"You don't know what seithr is. . .?" Saya's unsureness echoed out from her lips. She clearly did not want to utter those words.

"Can't say that we do, Saya," Ozpin said, a bit unsure of how to proceed himself.

"But that doesn't. . . How can that. . .?" Saya was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She understood she was ignorant of a lot of things due to her imprisonment, but at the same time nothing was adding up in her head. Aura? Semblance? She'd never heard of these and the users of the art had never heard of seithr despite it literally coating the planet like a second atmosphere. Beacon? Huntsman? For such an elite school with such an important role and a clearly impressive budget, she'd never heard of them. She'd heard of vigilantes but never huntsmen.

Finally, the denial of these trivial inconsistencies she had built up in her excitement and joy over her freedom and the strain of defying Izanami had broken down and now everything that challenged everything she had ever known showed itself. Abruptly and without warning. The pieces began to slowly fall into place.

Everything was for too unknown for her despite her isolation from the world. The things she should know—did know—didn't align with the world she had lived in all her life. She didn't know what was going on. Despite their ignorance of seithr, it was still there. She knew it. She felt it. She used it. The only way they would not know about seithr at all was if they didn't know the story of the Black Beast, but that was only a century ago so ignorance of such an event should have been—

"Impossible. . ." Saya muttered. She floated away from the two, trying to collect her thoughts. Ozpin and Glynda stared at her worriedly. What was going on?

Saya in her heart knew the truth. The only way they didn't know about the Black Beast was if it didn't happen. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard anything relating to the NOL since her arriving at Beacon either. The NOL were practically the only governmental force in the world after the destruction of the Black Beast, so the idea of kingdoms like Vale existing just wasn't possible. She knew of the Ikaruga Civil War and her subsequent placement as Imperator.

While she had been trapped in darkness that didn't mean she wasn't at least somewhat aware of what was happening in the midst of her own body. She knew how the NOL treated any governmental body other than themselves. Thinking about it more she could only come to one conclusion. The seithr she felt came from someplace other than the remains of the Black Beast. But the only way that could possibly happen was if the seithr had come from—

Her eyes widened in realization. She thought back to her awakening in the Emerald Forest, not even a day ago, to the pillar. Thinking back, the seithr she felt almost seemed to emanate from the pillar, almost like it was its epicenter.

The connection finally fell into place, "I need to go back to the pillar I woke up next to. Now."

The demand had been sudden and not what either professor had been expecting. Nevertheless, Ozpin could sense the urgency and nodded nonetheless, "Glynda, please accompany, Miss Saya. I will send you the coordinates. I will join you just as soon as I get some of the other professors down here to observe the initiation."

Glynda nodded. She didn't question her boss's order. She just followed, "Alright, Saya, let's go."

* * *

Saya stood before the pillar, just as she had been a day ago, staring straight at the moss-covered side before her. Glynda stood behind her within the ring of stones that surrounded it. She was curiously watching her young assistant wondering what was going through Saya's head.

Said assistant approached the pillar and continued where she left off last time when Ozpin interrupted her. She wiped the moss away from the pillar. Saya nearly gasped in surprise. There on the stone was a symbol she knew all too well for it was the same symbol that appeared right below the collarbone on herself and her older brothers: A single, black dot hovering in the center of a black, semicircle whose ends were pointed outward and a black spike jutting out from the bottom.

"You recognize the symbol?" Glynda asked approaching her. Saya didn't answer. Instead, she turned to her boss and loosed her top just enough to proudly display the symbol emblazoned on her torso. "What?!"

"It's a birthmark," Saya answered. "One that myself and my two, older brothers both possess."

"How is that possible?" Glynda exclaimed in surprise. "These ruins are ancient!"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out."

With that, Saya raises her hand and channels the seithr all around into the symbol on the pillar. It began to glow. . .

And then, out of nowhere, the ground beneath them drops a good foot down. Fortunately for Saya, her floating makes it so the sudden change in distance from her feet to the ground is only barely noticeable, but her boss wasn't so lucky. The sudden change in height caused the professor to fall straight to the ground due to a loss of balance.

"Wh-what just. . .?" Glynda looked around frantically in surprise before slowly the sound of machinery caught their ears as the platform they were on slowly began to descend into a metallic shaft. "Impossible. . ."

Glynda looked around in awe. She had never expected this. What was going on? How did Saya know? She blinked at that thought, " _Saya. . ._ how did you know?"

Saya looked down, almost guiltily, "I-I just had a feeling. . ."

"Do. . . do you know what this is. . ." Glynda asked.

"Not one hundred percent," Saya answered. "But I fear that I do."

They continued to descend further and further downward. Minutes passed by in an eerie silence that permeated the duo in the descent into the unknown. Not but the creaking of the metallic mechanisms that allowed for their downward motion could be heard. The whole situation was beyond uneasy and both occupants of the apparent elevator were drowned in that feeling.

Finally, a doorway came into view as the elevator came to a noisy stop. A thick, black mist poured into the small elevator and Saya instinctually took control of it to form a bubble around them. Seithr in such concentrations was definitely deadly to the huntress.

"What is this?!" Glynda asked surprised. In all her years as a huntress this wasn't something she had ever come across. She suddenly felt young and inexperienced again. The fear of the unknown taking hold. The anxiety of being woefully unprepared returned to her for the first time in years.

"Seithr," Saya said simply. "Normally, it's an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas. However, in large concentrations its visible as a black mist."

"So all of this," Glynda briefly trailed off. "Is seithr?"

"Yes. It also happens to be deadly in high concentrations. If I hadn't reacted quickly to control its flow path you would've died."

Glynda had to use all her skill and experience to calm down her breathing suddenly beginning to understand Saya's urgency in confirming her suspicions.

" _I'm certainly thankfully for her now. If some of the more adventurous students had found their way down here. . ._ " She held back a shuddered. That was certainly a thought she did not relish.

Saya began to concentrate utilizing the seithr to 'see' the sides of the massive room before her and, after much focus, began to absorb the seithr into herself.

"Saya?! What're you—"

The teacher was cutoff but Saya saying, "Don't worry. . . I was. . . 'made' for this."

Glynda swallowed at the implication but nodded nonetheless, allowing the young girl continue. Soon, the room was clear and Saya nearly fell to the floor, exhausted but alive. Glynda was at her side immediately, "Saya, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine. . ." Saya said catching her breath. "Just not used to being in control when I absorb a bunch of seithr. . . I'm fine now."

Glynda wasn't convinced, "Come on, we'd better return to Beacon. We can come back—"

"No," Saya said firmly. The teacher was surprised by the response. It wasn't often someone had the gale to outright tell her 'no'. "The truth is here. I know it is. And no matter what I need to learn it. Now."

The professor sighed but agreed nonetheless. Besides, she'd be lying if she wasn't the least bit curious herself.

Saya and Glynda made their way out of the elevator and into the expansive room. It was several stories tall which explained why they were going down in the elevator for several minutes. The octangular-shaped room was probably wide enough to fit Beacon's auditorium with quite a bit of room leftover. Immediately, when they saw what was inside the expanse, Saya knew what she was looking at.

The only light in the room was coming from a large, circular hole, roughly the size of Ozpin's office, with eight protrusions pointing inward over the opening of the hole. Wing-shaped claw arms dug into the hole as if to keep it open. Several archways and pillars spaced evenly encircled the walls as they continued rising higher and higher. There were several balconies between the archways, though nowhere near enough for every single one. The concrete balconies had metal railings on their edges to keep people standing upon the from obviously falling off.

As they approached the light-emanating hole, Saya became more and more aware of the seithr coming from it. She knew exactly what it was, but why was it here under a forest instead of under a hierarchical city. . . come to think of it she hadn't heard of a hierarchical city being mentioned since she had arrived here either. . .

She shook her head. She'd think more on that later. Right now, the vessel of Izanami knew she had to focus on the task at hand.

Finally, they reached the lip of the hole. Within was a slowly-swirling maelstrom of golden, luminous clouds of what looked to be gas and a molten flow of energy. Sets of stone, wing-like slabs appeared to open to allow for viewing into the infinite mass of energy below.

"What is this place?" Glynda asked. More to herself than anything else.

"A Cauldron. . ." Saya stated as her suspicions had been confirmed.

"I assume you don't mean the cooking pot when you say that," both women turned around to see Ozpin walking up to stand beside them. Saya shook her head, "No. It's more of a nickname really due to its appearance. The more accurate name would be a Sheol Gate."

"Sheol. . . Gate. . .?" Ozpin asked curiously.

"A gate into the Boundary," Saya confirmed.

"And the Boundary is. . ." Glynda herself asked unsure.

Saya was quiet for a moment, " _They really don't know. . ._ "

"The Boundary is. . . complicated. . . I suppose the best way to explain it as an intersecting point of all time and space. It is the place of origin that connects dimensions together."

Ozpin hmm'd at that description, "All time and space. . . and even dimensions. . ."

"But why would someone open this gate and why below the Emerald Forest?" Glynda asked, growing very concerned by the description of what this device was. "And how could we have never heard of such a thing?"

"I don't know. . . and I'm afraid to find out," Saya said honestly.

Ozpin and Glynda were quiet for a moment before the former spoke, "We should head back to Beacon. The team-forming ceremony will begin soon. I think we all need time to process the revelations made today."

"But Professor Ozpin what about—?" Glynda didn't get a chance to finish voicing her concerns when the headmaster interrupted her. "I'll be sure we have some people to keep an eye on it. Come on, let's go."

Glynda sighed and followed suit while Saya followed along, sparing only a single glance back at the dimensional hole behind her.

This deep feeling of unease was still consuming her. Things weren't adding up. And she got the feeling her wild curiosity would only lead to a far more morbid revelation than she desired to know.

* * *

 **Not sure if you all agree but I like the build-up to the revelation. It's not an instant conclusion that characters come to. It's far more based on logic and process of elimination which I feel is far more realistic. Because let's be honest if you wake up one day in a place you don't recognize with a culture and rules that are different from your own your first thought isn't going to be 'I'm in a different world!'.**

 **Even so, I hope I'm not going too slow for you guys. Really am hoping you all are enjoying it. I've certainly had fun writing a story involving my favorite, fictional character. Again, I know it's kinda of short compared to the first chapter. Will work on that.**

 **Hope you all have enjoyed and please review!**

 **~Omniczar**

* * *

 **Response to Reviews**

 **Arawn D. Draven -** Overpowered characters are only good if you do them right and any overpoweredness (Yay, I can English!) that may occur I intend to do exactly that.

 **Guest -** Guess you'll have to wait and see. =)

 **Bloodedge123 -** I may or may not consider a family reunion to be an option later down the line. It depends on whatever makes to story flow good. Dumping a bunch of characters in for no reason other than for one scene you really want to see with nothing else for them can kinda ruin it.

 **Guest -** Good to see you're paying attention to the small bouts of exposition I throw in. I try to cover as many angles as I can in combining two different stories but it isn't easy. About overpoweredness, I didn't mention that in an earlier response so that should cover that.

 **Guest -** Now let's not get ahead of ourselves.

 **Ragnathebloodedge22** _-_ I plan to.

 **Dual Gear -** Mark of a good story if it makes you want to keep reading.

 **Guest -** You may find this funny but I actually didn't realize until writing this chapter that Glynda's hair and eye color match Ragna, Jin, and Saya (at least as children anyway). I had to include it after I actually grew a brain and started paying attention.

 **Guest -** Thanks for the mention about Saya's wardrobe. I hadn't even thought about that until you brought that up. Went back and changed a bit of this chapter. So thanks for that!

 **Guest -** Haha! Yes! I was wondering if anyone had noticed that! Hope this chapter answered that question for you.

 **Ihavenonamingskillwhatsoever -** That name though.

 **nhoang910 -** Next time say—oh wait you did. Never mind!

 **Guest -** I hope by now it's apparent that fifth member isn't happening. As for Relius and Terumi. . . well-


	4. An Altered Reality

**Disclaimer – I do not own either Blazblue or RWBY. They are owned by Arc Systems and Roosterteeth respectively.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _"Thoughts/Flashback"_

 **Aura/Semblance/Drive/Etc**

 ** _"Izanami Mental Speaking"_**

 **Chapter 4 – An Altered Reality**

* * *

"Saya," Ozpin began sternly. The team-forming ceremony for the successful initiates to Beacon had been completely not too long ago. She had found it funny that the only three students she had interacted with the day prior were now on a team together. She mused that she should've found the black-haired girl and spoken to her the previous day to make the whole coincidence complete. Oh, well.

She shook her head rapidly to remind herself to stay focus. Ozpin seemed serious about this. She had to keep her seriousness, too. Ozpin was sitting in his chair behind his desk in his office. Glynda was standing behind him and Saya herself was sitting in the chair in front of him. It was very reminiscent of their first meeting in this office.

"I want you to explain the world as you know it," Ozpin explained his instructions clearly and without room for misinterpretation. "Not what you've learned since meeting me or Glynda, but the world as you remember it."

Saya nodded in understanding albeit with a hint of anxiety over the thought of what she was going to do, "I-I will do my best, headmaster."

"And Saya. . ." Ozpin started.

"Y-yes, sir?"

"I want you to explain everything," his words left no room for argument. By this point, they had both accepted that how Saya knew the world and how they knew the world were two entirely different things. Until a reasonable explanation could be brought to light, they decided to treat the story she was about to tell has completely factual. She had earned that much from them. Slowly, Saya nodded again, took a deep breath, and began.

"It's probably best to start a century ago as, how I remember it, that's when everything changed. I don't really know what caused it or anything like that but during that time something appeared in the world: the Black Beast."

"The Black Beast?" Glynda asked.

"A gigantic, eight-headed monster made of pure seithr. Normal weapons couldn't harm it. Weapons powerful enough to raise cities to the ground couldn't stop it. By itself, the Black Beast wiped out more than eighty percent of the world's population."

The eyes of both professors widened at that. Such a powerful monster existed? It seemed too unreal even to them. Ozpin's tone changed to curious when he spoke again, "If the Black Beast was so powerful then how was it stopped?"

"I don't know the full details of it," Saya admitted. "But it is known that Six Heroes arose to face the Black Beast. One of their number, the Great Sage Nine, crafted several, powerful weapons and created a new force called Ars Magus to face the monster."

"And this Ars Magus is?" Ozpin asked.

"Um. . ." Saya started, trying to think of the best way to describe it. "I guess you could call it a fusion between sorcery and science powered by seithr."

The moment the word 'sorcery' was brought into the equation, the entire tone of the conversation changed for the two professors. For that one word made an instant connection in their mind.

"Sorcery? As in m _agic?_ " the two professors thought. Neither voiced or even showed their surprise though. However, both were definitely more intently listening to her now. It seemed so far-fetched. History wasn't matching up. But what they had found beneath the Emerald Forest more than gave them enough reason to believe what she was saying. Despite the inconsistencies, she was the only expert they had on this matter, and right now they needed every bit of information they could get. Especially after that revelation. "This Great Sage managed to fuse magic and science? Powering it with the very substance that made up their foe?"

Saya nodded in confirmation, "Nine was said to have been one of the greatest magicians in world history. And the reason other weapons were so ineffective was that, as the sister who raised me said, the Black Beast is a creature that exists outside of reason. Therefore, the only thing that could harm it was things like sorcery and Ars Magus."

" _A creature that exists outside of reason. . ._ " Ozpin repeated that phrase again in his mind. Somehow, that description was so disconcerting to him. Probably had something to do with the unnatural implications of it. A creature that couldn't be fought in any conventional sense nor could be bested by familiar means was certainly something to worry over. It was an unknown element: the worst enemy for anyone in leadership.

But something else caught his ear in that story. The Great Sage Nine, one of the greatest magicians in world history, fused magic and science using seithr. The substance they now how access to via the Cauldron that was pretty much in their backyard. A more perfect opportunity could hardly be imagined.

Not long ago, unknown assailants had attacked the Fall Maiden, Amber, and had someone stolen some of her powers. This left her in essentially a coma. Since the Fall Maidens powers were magical in nature, they weren't certain how any of their technological equipment would affect Amber when the inevitable conclusion came to pass that transferring her powers to someone else would be the lesser of two evils. But if what Saya was saying was true, that this Great Sage was capable of using seithr as a means to fuse magic and science together, then perhaps there was yet still hope.

His aide was thinking very much along the same lines. She felt terrible watching Amber sleeping comatose inside what was essentially her sarcophagus. Everyone knew that was pretty much what it was no matter how much they denied that reality to themselves. This was the first good news she'd heard to this grim tale for a long while. It brought her the least bit of hopefulness back into her.

It was the best news they had heard in a while and Ozpin made mental note to himself to grill Saya later for as much information on Ars Magus as possible before capitalizing on this new tool they now had at their disposal.

For now, he continued to listen intently to what she had to say, "They did manage to defeat the Black Beast, but at a terrible cost. When the Beast was destroyed the seithr of its body spread throughout the world, almost like a worldwide flood of seithr. As I told Professor Goodwitch down at the Cauldron, seithr in high concentrations is deadly. So, even in death, the Black Beast still managed to make most of the planet uninhabitable. At least anything at a low elevation."

" _Another reason to gain a much information as possible before we delve into using this 'seithr',_ " Ozpin again noted to himself. Information like this was critical. They didn't need to make any errors.

Glynda's thoughts were not on that idea, however. She saw more the tragedy of the situation. The idea of despite gaining victory over such darkness, its power still covered the world. Was this their own fate? Would something similar happen with them if and when they ever defeated the Grimm? If and when they ever defeated Salem?

What a terrible thought.

"After what essentially was the fall of nations, a new power took over: the Novus Orbis Librarium. It was an absolute monarchy that controlled all information on Ars Magus. Only through them could you learn to utilize it and have access to it. They started creating Cauldrons to power their cities. And everything went downhill from there."

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," Ozpin muttered, more to himself than anything.

Saya nodded in confirmation.

None of them said a word for some time until the headmaster finally decided to speak up again, "Well, today has certainly been another enlightening day for all of us. Saya, I'm not sure what's going on. Your tale doesn't match at all with the recorded history of Remnant. However, due to what you showed us yesterday and the discovery made today I am certainly inclined to believe you. I'm not certain what is going on, but we will figure this out. I promise you that."

Saya smiled gentle, feeling relieved.

"You should go and relax now, Saya," the female professor spoke up. "Your first official day acting as my assistant is tomorrow. I have a combat class with the second-years at nine-thirty. Would it be alright if you met me up here tomorrow an hour beforehand?"

"Sure," Saya said, standing up. She bowed respectfully. "Thank you, professors. I will see you tomorrow."

With that, Saya floated off to the elevator and left.

Glynda and Ozpin stared at the elevator through which she had left. Minutes passed by in utter silence; their minds still comprehending the information given to them mere moments ago. The anomaly that was Saya, perhaps the greatest mystery Ozpin had ever had the opportunity to solve, had given him more pause and food for thought than anything else. Even the revelation of Amber's condition hadn't done such a number on his brain than the information presented to him now.

None of this added up. What was real and what was an illusion? The lines seemed to be becoming more and more blurred as time went on. The contradictions to their knowledge of history gave Ozpin a headache. It couldn't be possible for both to be true. . . could it?

Ozpin turned to his aide, "So, what do you think, Glynda?"

"I cannot deny the existence of seithr or of these 'Cauldrons'," came her reply. "I've seen them myself, after all. But I have a hard time disbelieving her story either. There is nothing in it for her to lie and telling such a fantastic story for no reason when there is every reason and chance we would never believe it seems very unlikely."

"Agreed. We must take into account that we are likely dealing with something beyond anything we've ever faced before. Even Salem. After all, if everything that's been said up to this point is true, then Saya is the living vessel for the Goddess of Death. The ramifications of even the smallest misstep with her could be truly monumental. . . and irreversible."

"I must admit. The story did seem very far-fetched to me," Glynda replied somberly. "I played along because of the clearly-immense trauma the poor girl had been through. But today's events have only confirmed to me that what she says has some great basis in truth. From now on, I recommend we really should treat everything she says as factual. We have no reason to doubt her anymore."

"Indeed," with that said, the female aide began to walking past the desk towards the elevator. That was when the headmaster's voice spoke up again, drawing her attention back to him. "Glynda. . . do you think after what Miss Saya said we could use this seithr to help with Amber?"

Glynda was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully, before she answered him, "I don't know. According to Saya, the one who harnessed its power was someone who was immensely skilled in magic, likely far more than even we are skilled in the use of Aura. Who's to say we can do what the Great Sage did."

"But if we don't try we may never know. . ."

Glynda sighed, "If we do decide to try it, Ozpin, we need to take every single precaution we can. If comparisons can be made, we are essentially trying to study Grimm."

"I understand that Glynda," he said, turning his chair around to face the glass, clock-face window. "But I don't want to not consider it a potential option."

Glynda took a deep breath, "I understand, Headmaster. Have a good day."

* * *

Saya sat on her bed in the room she had woken up in that morning, still the same as it was then. She made a note to redecorate her room at a later date. She was pretty sure she didn't need four beds after all. She winced, " _Why do I get the feeling I just jinxed myself by thinking that. . .?_ "

Still, having nothing better to do, Saya began getting ready for the evening. Professor Goodwitch had supplied her with some bare essentials to last until the weekend when get their first opportunity to spend a day in Vale itself getting everything Saya needed. So, for now, all she had to utilize was a white shirt to sleep in, a toothbrush, some toothpaste, soap for the shower, a towel, and a hairdryer. She was fine with it. She was certain she could last the week with this.

Slowly, she began to undress, even removing the gold hairpiece that had kept her hair up in a ponytail, and made her way over to the bathroom attached to her room. She stopped for a moment to stare at her reflection in the mirror and for the first time she got to truly see what that made man had turned her into.

Her purple hair flowed straight down her back reaching all the way to the back of her knees. Two, long lengths of the regal hair fell from the sides of her face reaching down the front of her body to the front of her knees. Red, ringed eyes stared back at her from the reflection and, despite giving her best effort to show emotion through them, they only showed off a lifeless presence. It was a terrible reminder of who she now 'shared' her body with.

Her eyes traveled downward to see what else had changed about her to which she remembered that the last time she had actually seen her own reflection was when she was only a little girl. Now, over a decade later, she could now see the effects that age had had on her form. No longer did she have the body of her childhood; now in its stead was that of a woman. She may not have had the full figure of one – her chest being very much on the petite side – but she certainly wasn't a child anymore.

Still, one thing was the pretty much the same: the birthmark she shared with her brothers that was right under her collarbone. Although it was now a pale-purplish color as opposed to the black it had been.

Yet another disconnect to a time she so dearly missed.

She crossed her arms over her chest and tucking her hands under her arms as a shiver went down her spine at the unnerving reality still sweeping over her. She guessed her mind was still trying to unravel everything that had happened and was only slowly catching up. As she traced her fingers over the sides of her torso, she came upon yet another anomaly: two, circular lines embedded into the flesh under her arms. The first line, more oval in shape, was right below her armpit reaching to the middle of her ribcage. The second was tiny and implanted towards to top.

She knew instinctively what they were and again shuddered in silent horror at what had been done to her.

" _Does it ever end?_ " the girl-turned-doll thought bitterly, tears threatening to be released from the floodgates of her eyes. As if to harshly answer her question, as her eyes continued to travel down her body when she noticed yet another area where her new 'doll' parts were now present. From the front of her hip bones back around the lower part of her rear were two lines in her skin that formed an eye-shape. At the points of the eye were two, small circles.

A cold chill ran through her knowing exactly what would have had to happen for those parts to get there. Was no part of her safe from that man? She should be the very least grateful that he seemed to have only an interest in experimentation. The dread of him having a more physical interest in her was terrible but, thankfully, that had not come to pass.

She turned around to glance behind her. The red-eyed vessel's morbid curiosity getting the better of her. And that is when she saw what was on her back. Her back had been tattooed in the same pale purple that her birthmark now was. At her tailbone was what looked like a copy of said birthmark only it was upside down and the dot was hollow instead of a full circle.

Above that was another, far larger tattoo. The bottom of the design was the same as her birthmark except it was many times bigger with elongated prongs that went out so far as to stop just before the curve to the side of her torso. Two, extra spikes flanked the bottom point diagonally facing away from it and not being connected to the prong-shaped etching on her skin. The dot was still in the same place, albeit much bigger, but above that, placed between her shoulder blades, was the digital imprint of the number 'zero'. It two was flanked on either side by outwardly-bent, pointed lines that formed a pseudo-horned shape.

Was this the symbol of Izanami or the symbol of her being the goddess's vessel. She didn't know nor did she desire to know. It didn't matter anyway. What mattered was that the mark was there and would never be removed.

With this newfound knowledge of her physical appearance, Saya solemnly moved into the shower and spent a good bit of time under the hot water embraced by the steam that came forth from liquid running down her form. She was thinking; trying to clear her head of the jumbled mess it currently was. Bad news seemed to be her constant companion, but she had to remain strong. Izanami retaking control now likely meant that the residents of Beacon would die, and she refused to let that happen.

After her shower, she dried herself off before dawning the white shirt to act as a pair of pajamas. The shirt was pretty big on her but only reached just below the fold of her rear. There was also the logistical problem of not having any spare garments to wear for the day, so she didn't want to wear what she would be inevitably be wearing for the rest of the week. It would be awkward, but it's not like she shared the room with anyone.

" _Besides it not like my current undergarments covered up much anyway_ ," Saya thought in annoyance. Why the emotionless Goddess of Death would need something so skimpy she had no idea and frankly didn't want to know. " _Ignorance is definitely bliss._ "

The sky was growing dark by this time as night finally descended over Remnant. She smiled nostalgically to herself as she thought back to happier days in an attempt to rid herself of the cynical and pessimistic thoughts that were currently dominating her mind. When was the last time she got to enjoy the grace of the moon? Ragna was always the one who watched the moon with her as Jin as some major distaste for the celestial object in the sky.

It was so peaceful really. Observing the great, glowing orb in the sky with countless, twinkling lights crowning the black sky overhead. While she would miss enjoying moon-watching with Ragna, she could at least look now and think back on happier times.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"Brother!" a child's voice echoed throughout the church building. A young boy whose age was roughly around a decade in length swiftly turned his head towards the child-like, feminine voice calling for him._

 _The boy had blonde, spiky hair and green eyes and was wearing a white shirt and black shorts. His eyes widened as a speeding bullet of pale pink and blonde suddenly crashed into him and latched onto his torso._

 _"Brother!" the blur's voice came again, cheerful and full of life._

 _The boy smiled as he looked down. Hugging him, with face in his chest, was his little sister. She, too, had blonde with green eyes. The pink from the blur had been the pink dress that she wore. Her youthful appearance was that of a girl a few years junior to the boy himself._

 _"Yes, Saya?" he spoke gently with the hint of affection and protectiveness only an older brother could show._

 _"Brother! Come watch the moon with me!" she said with an excited tone, pulling her way and tugging her brother's arm as to say 'come on!'._

 _"Saya," said a young woman dressed in the garbs of a nun as she came walking around the corner. "It's late. You need to get ready for bed."_

 _Before the little girl could protest the denial, however, the older brother spoke up, "Please, Sister? We won't be out long. We'll just watch the sky for a few minutes before getting to bed."_

 _The Sister sighed, "Ragna. . . Oh, fine, I guess. . ."_

 _"Yay!" came Saya's cheer as she turned towards a second boy standing not too far away, "Jin! You want to join us?"_

 _Jin was another blonde-haired, green-eyed who was only about a year or so older than Saya. Unlike Ragna and more like Saya, his hair came straight down though it was cut short. The middle sibling 'hmphed' and looked away, choosing not to speak._

 _"Jin!" Saya whined, trying to get an answer out of him. She felt a hand on top of her head and turned to see his smiling older brother comfortingly rubbing his hand on her scalp. "It's okay, Saya, if Jin doesn't want to join us he doesn't have to. Now come on, before the Sister changes her mind."_

 _Saya nodded, "Okay, brother."_

* * *

Saya made up her mind. She made her way over to the curtain at the window in her room and pulled it open. . .

. . . and immediately stopped dead cold.

Before her was not the full moon as she was used to seeing it, but rather naught but the shattered remnants of what was once something great and beautiful. The simplicity and peacefulness brought by that which orbited above in the night sky bringing light unto the darkest parts of time was not but a figment of its former glory hanging by threads in the dark sky overhead. Only broken memories of the visage Saya once knew and adored remained.

" _But that's. . ._ " Saya thought, afraid to voice those words even in her own mind so overcome with shock was she at this new truth thrust upon her with such little notice. " _. . .it just. . . i-it can't. . .be. . .be real. . .it can't be real. . .it just can't! It can't!_ "

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Saya and her brother laid flat side-by-side in the grass staring up at the moon and stars above. The sounds of the silent serenity of the landscape echoed all around them in a tender breeze of soothing air that caressed them and made them feel at peace. The great, celestial mirror in the sky above reflected the light of the sun down to them in a dim glow and ordered the twinkling lights, so grand yet so far away, to do the same so as to watch protectively over the two siblings; shielding from the darkness of the world around them like the mighty Aegis of ancient world._

 _A sigh escape from the girl's lips – a sigh of total relaxation – as she scooted closer to her brother, seeking a higher plane of this feeling by being at her elder brother's side. The heat radiating from his form as she cuddled into him lulled her and her eyes became heavy._

 _She didn't know if 'God' really existed, but she had the child-born faith to believe in Him and so silently prayed in her head that she could enjoy moments like this forever. That no matter what she could think back to these times and find comfort in what once was. To find peace and solace in the familial love between brother and sister. In the comfort of that which only an older brother could give to his little sister._

 _With a quiet, soft voice, she spoke to him, no doubt or hesitation was present within it, "I love you, brother."_

 _As her eyes closed in her state of inner peace, she faintly heard her brother's strong, comforting response, "I love you, too, Saya. I will always be there for you. . . no matter what. . ."_

 _And with that, with a smile on her face, she fell gracefully into the realm of dreams._

* * *

Tears welled up in her eyes as her world crumbled further and further into dust around her. In her state of mind, her levitation gave out and she collapsed to the ground in a heap. The tremors in her body would cease and she shook terribly. Her mind was faltering. She had broken down once or twice since appearing here but this was the final nail in the coffin. Her uncertainty and the fear of the unknown overwhelmed her.

It was as if anything happy, anything worth remembering from her old life, was now set up to torment her. To remind her how lost and alone she truly was. She wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

Tentatively, she rose from the ground and made her way to her bed. Today had been another rollercoaster of emotions.

She needed sleep. . .

* * *

Saya was restless that night. The culmination of all her knowledge of how the world should be and what it was now conflicted in a mental war inside her head. She didn't know what was real and what wasn't. How was the moon broken? What happened to history? What happened to the world at large?

" ** _One day and you are already in such a state_** ," came a taunting voice echoing around her. " ** _You should have just let me stay in control. Look how pitiful you how now_**."

Saya's eyes sprung open and she yet again found herself in a place she didn't want to be: the darkness of her own mind. Her doppelganger was standing across from her except in fully Imperator garb while she was still missing half the outfit. Izanami was smiling an empty smile as soulless, red eyes gleamed into her. Her face seemed to show delight in her suffering but those eyes spoke of nothing but emptiness.

"I-Izanami. . ." Saya spoke, trying to sound confident but the fear in her voice still overcame such an attempt.

Izanami chuckled darkly, " ** _I must admit you are quite resilient. But even the strongest will fail over time._** "

Saya mustered up everything she had to give the death goddess a hollow glare putting every bit of venom into it as she could muster. She began to shake fiercely. Izanami closed her eyes in satisfaction, " ** _Go ahead. Enjoy your freedom. I am nothing if not patient._** "

Saya's look lost all meaning as it faded into one of morbid curiosity. Was Izanami going to let her stay in control? Somehow that thought unsettled her more than Izanami trying to forcefully retake control.

" ** _After all, the longer you stay in control. . ._** " Izanami said as she floated towards Saya, coming so close that Saya's forehead touched the gold crown upon Izanami's head. Her eyes opened revealing their insidious gleam in a grand display of victory. " ** _. . . the more efficiently I can break you. . ._** "

* * *

The ding of the elevator alerted Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch to someone entering the office. The former looked up from the scroll he was looking at, "Ah, Saya, I hope you—are you, alright?"

Saya looked like she hadn't slept well. A lot seemed to be on her mind when she calmly floated towards them.

"Saya," Glynda spoke up. "Is everything alright."

Saya averted her gaze briefly before speaking, "Izanami. . ."

Those words said everything that needed to be said. As they went to speak on the matter, Saya raised her hands, "Please no. . . I don't want to hold on the subject of _her_ for right now. . . please. . ."

Against their better judgment, they relented.

"Now then, as you are aware, I am the combat instructor for Beacon," Glynda stated. Saya nodded in confirmation. "So, I'm going to run through your duties and responsibilities as my assistant during the course of the school year. For the first week or so, you are going to observe me monitoring fights between students and to judge their skills, tactics, and techniques during these fights. I will show you what we're looking for overtime so that eventually you can monitor fights alone just in case I'm needed elsewhere."

Saya nodded as she took mental notes the entire time.

"Eventually, you will help me grade student performances, enforce rules, and run minor errands for me. As I mentioned at initiation, I will consider disobeying you as disobeying me."

"Are you sure all this is fine considering I have no formal education nor was I ever trained as a huntress?" Saya asked. She really was thankful for all this, but she couldn't help but feel she was not qualified for this job. She couldn't even imagine students respecting her if they knew that.

"Well, for one it's not like you are actually teaching anything," Ozpin remarked matter-of-factly. Saya chuckled nervously at that statement. "And you actually are a subject matter expert. An expert in something no one in this school is."

The red-eyed girl blinked, "I am?"

Ozpin nodded, "Seithr."

"Oh," nothing else needed to be said. While she certainly wasn't an 'expert' on the subject, she was the only person who knew anything about seithr around here as well as likely the only person who could manipulate it. And with a Cauldron so close by they'd need any bit of expertise they could get.

Ozpin then handed Saya a closed scroll from across the table, "This is your scroll, Saya, as I understand you don't have one. Mine, Glynda's, and all the other professors' numbers are already saved onto it."

"Thank you, sir," Saya smiled.

"Come along then, we should start heading towards your 'classroom' to get you situated before class starts," Ozpin said.

Saya smiled as they made their way out of the office.

They had just left the elevator and were currently walking down the halls of the schools. Students passed by giving them greetings as they hurried to their classes. They walked in sort of a triangular fashion with Ozpin leading the way and his aid and Saya following closely behind. Hoping to learn more about her little assistant, the female professor asked, "So you mentioned having brothers?"

Saya nodded, "Yeah, Ragna and Jin. Ragna's the oldest. I'm the youngest."

"So, what are they like?"

"Well, Ragna is very protective. He isn't the brightest but he is certainly the most loyal and a determination none can match. If there was one person in the whole world I could count on without hesitation it would be him," Saya rambled on, obviously thrilled to describe her wonderful brother to her boss.

"And Jin?"

The assistant went quiet for a moment before speaking, "I. . . don't have the best relationship with Jin. . ."

"Oh."

"After an. . . incident, my body became frail and sickly," Saya said sorrowfully. "Ragna pretty much forced himself to take care of me constantly as that's just who he is. . . Jin didn't like that. He got really jealous and started to hate me. It made his mind an easy target for Terumi when he. . . you know. . . "

Saya didn't clarify what she was referring to, but it wasn't necessary. Both professors remembered their initial conversation with the girl when she revealed herself to them. Who she was. . . what she'd been through, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

There was another awkward silence before Saya spoke again, "Would you know any way I could get copies of these clothes so I don't just have one pair?"

"All things considered I'd have thought you would have liked to have something different instead of those regal clothes," Glynda asked, surprised by the request.

Saya simply shrugged, "I can't say that I don't agree, but. . . as strange as it is for me to say I actually do like these clothes. They're comfortable. Plus, despite what they represent to me, it's really the only connection I have to a world how I once knew it other than the Cauldron."

Glynda nodded, "I'm certain we can figure something out."

"Thank you."

"Think nothing of it."

As they had continued walking, they had passed through a pair of doors to a beautiful courtyard outside. A tall, pillared ring of stone outlined the massive plaza with a lake at its center. Large, stone-tile causeways crossed through the center with a statue residing in the absolute middle. Steel lampposts towered over these causeways to give them light when the light of day was no longer afforded. Stone islands dotted the lake outside these causeways with paths attaching them to the main roads. Trees and benches inhabited these islands.

It was quite a serene sight.

Movement caught her eyes; a sore spot in the vacant landscape before her. Eight people were running full sprint down the causeway from left to right making a break for another entrance into the building she and the professors had just left. Focusing on the running figures, Saya realized who it was. It was Ruby and her team along with the team of that 'landing strategy' boy from the initiation.

" _Jaune Arc_ ," she reminded herself. "They seem to be in a hurry."

Glynda looked at her watch, "I do believe their class starts in about a minute."

"Ah, that explains it," Saya answered nodding in satisfaction at the answer. "Great first impression."

"Indeed," Ozpin said as he sips from his coffee mug.

Saya blinked and turned to him, "Wait, where'd you get that coffee mug from?"

Ozpin stopped to glance at the girl before giving a slight smile and wink before returning to his coffee.

* * *

"Alright everyone, listen up," Glynda announced from the center of the training arena. As it turned out, the 'auditorium' Saya had been in the first day had actually been what was referred to as an amphitheater which doubled as the training arena for the students at Beacon. When she had first returned to this location, she noticed things she hadn't noticed when it was packed with potential students. This mainly was made up of the backdrop for the 'stage' and the circular balcony encircling the room.

The backdrop was a semi-crescent wall that 'stepped' up to a point with designs etched into it. The balcony had several rows of backless seats complete with a beam-like was acting as a railing for the seats. It was easy to see how it could theoretically, and actually, functioned as both.

Either that or there two rooms that were practically identical and she was just losing her mind.

"This is Saya," Glynda said motioning to the girl beside her. "She is going to be my assistant for this year. She will be helping me monitor fights, grade, and enforce school rules. Treat anything she says as if it came from me. Are we clear?"

The students were seated in the balcony above looking down at the two who were presently center-stage. From what Professor Goodwitch told her, these were all second-year students. They wouldn't be having first-years until later.

They stared at Saya with varying degrees of interest and emotion. Some glanced at her with vast interest listening intently to Glynda's announcement of the purple-haired girl's position. Other barely even paid attention to her. Though those that irritated her and made her feel uncomfortable were the ones who snickered amongst themselves while pointing at her.

" _I wish brother was here_ ," Saya thought nervously. She really wasn't used to this kind of attention especially from so many people. It was kind of uncomfortable.

"I do believe that requires an answer, students," Glynda authoritative voice echoed throughout the room impatiently. A resounding 'yes, ma'am' came as a response. The teacher nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now then, welcome students to your second-year combat class. Let's begin."

The class went by swiftly all things considered. Saya had to admit, these students were impressive. She couldn't yet tell the difference between skill levels of first and second year students by observing them fighting though, so she had a hard time discerning them from yesterday's initiates. She imagined it would take some time before she could really tell the difference, but she could definitely imagine these students beating the first-years in a fight despite this.

How the fighting/training system in of itself was pretty interesting. Professor Goodwitch had told her a bit of how it worked before class started. However they managed to do it, they set it up to that they could see a student's level of aura in the form of an energy meter that they displayed on a screen. Aura acted as a defensive barrier for the body – protecting it from attack – so whenever they set matches up to go on until one combatant's aura reached a 'red zone' or too low to safely continue fighting with dangerous weapons and abilities. It was pretty smart in her opinion.

Match after match passed by, Saya learning more and more about combat in Remnant in the process. She had learned a little about that very subject during the initiation but, due to her galivanting off to investigate the pillar she had awoken next to, she hadn't seen enough to get a solid idea of the concept of battle utilizing aura and semblance. Now, she had a far better idea of how it worked. First and foremost, of that was the weaponry.

While not the most impressive weapons she'd heard about – the Nox Nyctores were by far that pinnacle – they were certainly great in their own right. Some of the weapons were outright odd though: a briefcase that could turn into a minigun was not something she would've ever expected anyone to come up with. But then again, it was definitely a 'surprise' moment and she knew something out of left field could win battles if not wars.

With so little to do in the church, she had gotten to read quite a bit so learning a lot about the world before the Black Beast was something of a pass time for her when her brothers weren't available to play with. She blissfully recalled happier times. Seeing her brother after he'd been busy only to excitedly tell him all about what she had just learned from old history books. Her brother, while not always understanding what she was talking about, always listened intently. Telling her how interesting it what even though looking back she knew most of it didn't actually interest him at all.

Snapping out of her reminiscing, she returned her attention to the match currently ongoing before her. The two second-years were fighting fiercely. The battle seemed pretty even so far as well. One would go on the offensive, fall back, and act defensively and repeat. And the inverse was true as well. Their auras seemed to be pretty even throughout as well. Neither combatant seemed to have a significant edge over the others.

She could also tell by their expressions that these two didn't like each other one bit as compared to the other fights she had seen, who either had a focus, determined, or gleeful look masking their faces, these two looked absolutely hateful towards each other. It was almost as if they believed that if they stared at each other venomously enough they could wipe the other from existence. She recognized the look very well.

It was almost identical to the one Jin had so often given her until that fateful day.

Finally, however, the unavoidable end finally arrived. One, decisive blow ended the fight with the victor only winning by a few pixels of aura. Professor Goodwitch called out the winner. The rival who lost was clearly furious, "No fair, our aura is virtually at the same place!"

"Maybe," said the other fighter. "You should accept that you lost to me."

It wasn't a suggestion. The winner was telling him what he should do. Saya mentally winced. She could already tell this wasn't going to end well. As the argument began to erupt, however, the teacher silenced them, "Enough. Return to the stands. The class is almost over."

The winner nodded and spoke his respectful acceptance of the order before smugly walking off. The loser, enraged by the act, charged his would-be rival while his back was turned. But before the blow was laid or the Headmaster's aide could intervene, something incredible happened. The winner turned just in time to see his foe's weapon stop dead in its tracks. His assailant stared ahead, his eyes frozen in shock and fear as his body remained still, unable to move. It didn't take long to see why.

The attacker had been trapped in an orb of crimson energy with a runic ring encircling it. Black, spike chains glowing a bloody red color had sprung up from what appeared to be portals which were also encased in rings of runes – two in fact. The spear-tipped chains had stopped just after piercing the bubble.

Everyone looked around for the cause of the phenomena until all eyes fell upon the teacher's assistant, arm held out with a scowl shrouding her face. Even Glynda was shocked by the action. Ozpin had told her what the girl had inadvertently done to him out of a surprised reflex but to see it in action was something else.

The teacher was the first to recover, "Er. . . thank you, Saya."

She then gained her infamous, disciplinarian expression as she stormed up to the now-frightened student as she angrily stated, "Not off to a very good start to the school year, are you? You will be severely punished for this action mark my words! I expect you in detention tonight. There we can further discuss your punishment for this offense."

Seeing her cue, Saya released the student who unceremoniously crashed to the floor below. Class ended only minutes later. The students began to disperse getting ready for their next class of the day. That was when Saya's boss called out to one of them, "Miss Adel, a moment please."

Said student blinked in surprise before she 'shooed' her teammates off as she made her way over to the teacher and her assistant, "Need something, professor?"

Saya recognized the girl from an earlier match. She had been the one with the handbag that became a minigun as she recalled. Her appearance was definitely something though. Dark brown hair with part of it dyed a caramel color and shades to prevent the goddess's vessel from seeing her eye color. Her outfit consisted of long, cocoa-colored shirt with a dark brown waist cincher, dark brown trousers with ribbons on the left side and the drape of a black skirt hanging on her right, dark brown beret, and a brown belt lined with bullets and a brass buckle that was shaped like crosshairs. In addition to this were a pair of black gloves, necklaces, a bracelet with black roses on it, and a pair of dark-brown, high-heeled leather boots with buckles on them.

"Indeed," came the professor's reply. "I take it you are still the fashionista you were last year."

The girl smiled, "Of course, teach. You need suggestions?"

Glynda frowned slightly at the familiarity of her reply but resolved not to say anything about it, "No, but I do need some help with something of that nature."

The named Miss Adel cocked her head, a look of great curiosity marked her features as she smiled, "Sure thing. Whatcha need?"

"Saya," Glynda said, motioning the younger girl to speak. "Tell her about the request you made to earlier."

Catching on, Saya repeated her request on clothing to the second-year before her. She nodded.

"A copy of those clothes of yours? Yeah, that shouldn't be difficult. If you want I can take you into town on Friday. I know a place you can get the copies you need by the end of the weekend."

"That would be very helpful, Miss Adel," Saya said gratefully. "Thank you."

"Call me Coco," she replied holding out her hand. Saya took it willingly.

Glynda smiled, "Actually, I think you all should head out now. I will inform you teachers of this so you won't get in trouble."

Saya blinked in surprise, "Are you sure that's okay, professor?"

"You are quite lacking in basic necessities, Saya. Since Miss Adel is arranging you to get additional clothing, this could also serve as an opportunity to get those necessities that you'll need."

"Huh?" Coco asked, confused at what the teacher was talking about.

"Other than soap, dental supplies, and a white shirt, you're basically seeing all that I have," Saya said, somewhat sadly. Coco was abashed by the reveal, "What?! We'd better get going! There are some things a girl just can't be without!"

Coco grabbed Saya's hand and began to pull her along when the teacher spoke up again, "Miss Adel. . ."

The second-year stopped, "Yes, professor?"

". . . don't have her trying on clothing for hours. Just get her what she needs and come right back."

Coco's smile grew wider, "Sure thing, teach. Come on, Saya, let's go shopping!"

Glynda mentally smirked as the second-year dragged her poor assistant off. It should be fine. She didn't have another class until after lunch anyway. She doubted that the two would take that long either. While she knew Coco's tendencies when it came to shopping, she trusted Saya could keep her on track. She was still a teacher's aide after all.

She walked off to report to Ozpin and to also inform Miss Adel's teachers she wouldn't be present for the first day due to a request she had made. She wasn't worried about her assistant. If anything were to happen, she knew Miss Adel would keep Saya safe.

* * *

 **So, looking back on the first chapter I realized I had gotten a bit of the description of Izanami's clothing wrong. I'll be sure to go back and fix it sometime in the next week or so, so be aware that's what happened if you see an update with no apparent update.**

 **Anyway, so the ending of this chapter was interesting. It sorta just came to me and it logically made sense to me. In series, Team CFVY went on a mission that went long and they missed a bunch of school. It honestly doesn't seem that far-fetched that missing a few hours would be that big of a deal for a second-year team under these circumstances. Yes, it's for kinda personal reasons, but it wouldn't be the first time Ozpin has stretched the rules a bit due to extenuating circumstances. So I feel it fits.**

 **Honest, it was really odd writing up the scene where Saya finally inspects her reflection in the mirror. The chapter had pretty much been written at that point but I felt it was missing something. The idea just came to me when I went back, but I will say it the odd part I mentioned was trying to write that out without sounding like a total pervert about it. Still probably came across that way, but I guess that was inevitable.**

 **Either way, I hope you all enjoy and please review!**

 **~Omniczar**

* * *

 **Response to Reviews**

 **Dread Grim Reaper -** I've got to be honest I had not realized that until you mentioned it. . . I especially didn't realize Ruby and Rachel had the same birthday. . . who knew?

 **Guest -** I believe you are imagining it because awesome scene is awesome. As for it actually happening. . . let's see how the story plays out, neh?

 **Guest -** Was it ever stated that hate fuels him? Or it that just an expression you're using. Because if not I feel I missed something really important storywise.

 **NatsuErzaDragneelSusanoo** \- Yes I did hear and my favorites are Izanami and Ruby. As for why I did not include the rest of your review in this. . . well, because what you 'asked' me seemed more appropriate to be included in a pm rather than a story review. If you want to hear my opinion on Blazblue Cross Tag Battle, please do so in a pm and not in a review for a story.

 **Guest -** Well, they need to figure out how to use it first. . .and figure to figure out what it even is before that.

 **Infinite Omega -** Well, if that isn't the most self-indulgent signing off ever. Lol. And don't worry, I'm certainly such a scenario will come up sooner or later.

 **nhoang910** \- Maybe.

 **Azure Legacy -** Well if this isn't the mother of all reviews. . .

For question 1, to me it seems far more likely that the side of Ragna she's used to seeing and sees more often than not is the protective, older brother side. At the very least, that's what I always got out of the story of Blazblue. I may be wrong though. For question 2, I swear half my audience are psychics. Moving on. Question 3, that goes way into spoiler territory so I really don't have an answer to that. Question 4, see my answer to your last question. Sorry, but thanks for enjoying my work so far.

 **Commonwealth1991 -** I feel like being compare to 'Still Alive' is a good start for a new fanfiction. Not sure what the author has to say about that though.

I do usually run through the story once with spell check after I'm done to make the story sounds good. I'll probably at some point run through it again to double check. As for the thing with Glynda, yeah, I can definitely see where thought comes from. But I dunno, I grew up in private school with a lot of strict teachers, even ones very reminiscent of how Glynda acts and at the end of the day they were always the teachers I could depend on the most if I had an issue. They always knew when to turn off the stern exterior and act human. I could honestly see her having that as well even if wasn't really portrayed that way in the show.

About your third point, that doesn't seem to me like a good point. What is the point of having a crossover if nothing significant changes. In my mind, if the story continues exactly how it should then what was the point of the crossover to begin with? I always saw fanfiction as a tool for learning and experimentation. Learning how to be a better writer and experimenting with an already-existing story to see how changes could affect it. A fanfiction story, especially a crossover one, that virtually changes nothing doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. If you think character development can't happen if you change events then you are viewing all this wrong.

 **Touhou is Life -** If you check the notable character's list, you should get somewhat of an answer to that inquiry.

 **Pixelmancer -** I can neither confirm nor deny such things are in the future of this text I am inscribing for your reading pleasure.


	5. First Venture into Vale

**Disclaimer – I do not own either Blazblue or RWBY. They are owned by Arc Systems and Roosterteeth respectively.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _"Thoughts/Flashback"_

 **Aura/Semblance/Drive/Etc**

 ** _"Izanami Mental Speaking"_**

 **Chapter 5 – First Venture into Vale**

* * *

" _Professor, what have you gotten me into?_ " Saya thought as she stared at the second-year student sitting across from her in the bullhead as they flew into Vale.

Ever since the brown-theme fashionista all but dragged her off, things had been very awkward for the young assistant. The student was very chatty it seemed to her: one of the 'cool' kids if she had to guess. Saya herself was not use to social interaction. Prior to her incarceration in her own body for over a decade, the only thing she had done that counted as social was with the Sister who raised her and her older brothers.

When she had helped clear up that argument between Weiss and Ruby, the first interaction she had had with any girl around her own age, she'd been acting as a moderator for their argument and helped them come to a resolution. She had acted by copying how her brother had acted. It was the same with virtually any student. The purple-haired vessel rarely had any discussion with students and when she did she was an authority figure. She really couldn't say that for her current situation resulting in her not really knowing what to do. Saya couldn't imitate her big brother to help her out with this one.

A slight shuddered zapped down her spine. The other girl had been staring at her, a smirk written boldly upon her face, since the flight commenced. The look almost looked. . . predatory in a way. If her experience with such a look was anything to go bad, this wasn't going to end well.

"So," Coco spoke in a tone that dripped with curiosity and the authority to dominate the conversation. "Saya, right?"

"U-um, yes."

"Name's Coco. Nice to meet you."

The student held an arm out to shake the girl's hand. Saya hesitantly and nervously accepted the hand shake though her grip was weak.

"Hey relax," Coco said smoothly. "I ain't gonna bite you."

"Er. . . sorry," Saya said embarrassed. "I'm not used to casually talking with anyone my own age. . ."

"Really? We're the same age?"

"Uh. . . I am about 18-19 years old. . ."

"18-19?" Coco blinked. "Don't feel comfortable telling me your exact age?"

"It's not that," Saya said in a sort of depressed tone; her head faltered downward in a tinge of sorrow. "It's just I don't know exactly how old I am. . ."

The brown-colored fashionista could immediately tell the direction the tone of the conversation was going. She could tell that she was unraveling some truths that she really shouldn't have. Expertly, she changed the conversation in an attempt not to depress the poor girl in front of her.

"That was pretty impressive what you did earlier," Saya blinked and raised her head, trying to figure out what the other girl was talking about. "That thing with the red chains you did? That was pretty awesome."

Saya felt her face redden even though her body no longer allowed such a feature to appear on her face. The doll-girl was not used to this sort of praise from outside of family or really anyone she wasn't familiar with so she didn't really know how to react to such compliments from the second-year student. An embarrassed mumbling is all that escaped her lips, "I-It was nothing really."

"Nothing?!" Saya jumped as the girl stood up, aghast by what appeared to her to be a blasphemous statement. The excitement in her voice was just barely overshadowed by her blatant disapproval of the opinion the girl had of her own abilities. "You stopped a second-year student in their tracks! Seemingly no effort was involved in it and he couldn't even move! I can't even imagine what other things you can use with that semblance!"

"Well. . . not to burst your bubble. . ." Saya said hesitantly as she carefully chose her words carefully. "But I don't really know what else I can do. . ."

Coco blinked, "Whatcha mean by that?"

"I-It's complicated. . ."

The leader of Team CFVY winced, " _Good job, Coco. How many more bad memories can you remind this girl of?_ "

"Well. . .uh. . . sorry for bringing up so many bad memories," Coco said, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," Saya said cutting the girl off. "It's not your fault. . . it's just. . . let's just say I have had a really terrible, twelve years and let's leave it at that. . ."

" _Yikes_ ," the fashionista paled slightly and swallowed. She had to change the subject. Hopefully, the third time was the charm. "So then. . . you ever been to Vale?"

Saya shook her head, "No, what's it like?"

The Adel girl breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, it's the capital of the Kingdom of Vale and it doubles as a port city as well. It's a pretty massive, modernized city but fortunately, I know exactly where to go for what you need so you don't need to worry about that."

Saya giggled slightly, "I should hope so otherwise I'd have questioned Professor Goodwitch's decision for you to help me."

Coco smiled softly glad that she had gotten the girl to smile even if only slightly.

"Trust me. No one knows the shops of Vale like I do," she said with a smirk while using her thumb to point at herself. Saya then blinked, "Uh oh, I just realized I don't have any money. How am I—"

"Don't worry about it, Little Miss Assistant," the fashionista smiled knowingly. She'd figured that was likely the case anyway. "I've got you covered."

Saya let out a breath, "Thank you. I'll pay you back when I can."

"Don't worry about it."

"I will," Saya said sternly surprising Coco. "It's the right thing to do."

Coco just shrugged, "Eh, if it makes you feel better, princess."

The girl-turned-vessel blinked, "Princess?"

"Yep," the student said teasingly. "With the ceremonious clothes and hair that's literally royal purple? What else are you supposed to be?"

"I dunno? An empress?" Saya said absentmindedly before she froze at her own words. She really should not have said that. At all. She knew Izanami had acted as Imperator of the NOL which is where her wardrobe primarily came from. The matter-of-fact comment had been so subconscious that she hadn't even realized she had said it until the words registered in her own ears.

"Empress it is then," Coco smirked teasingly at the girl as she sat back down.

The purple-haired girl sighed. She didn't want to make Coco feel bad again, especially over something she was again ignorant of. Guess this time she really would just need to suck it up. It was kind of her fault that the royal title was now her apparent-nickname anyway.

* * *

"Wow. . ." Saya gasped out as she took in the city of Vale for the first time. The simplistic description Coco had given before did not do this city justice. Maybe it was the fact that she grew up in a small church in the middle of the wilderness or maybe the fact she couldn't really remember her time within the 0th Hierarchical City of Izanagi – or any of the other hierarchical cities for that matter – but either way, it was certainly spectacular to look at.

The city was quite expansive for one. Even as they had initially descended in the bullhead towards the pad they were landing on, she could see the massive township expanding onward far into the distance all the way up unto the sea itself just beyond.

The architecture that made up the city itself seemed very varied and Saya really had no frame of reference for it. The sister didn't have many books with pictures of buildings in them. The only thing she could compare the structures of the city to were the church and to the frames she'd seen of the Hierarchical cities and really comparing this place to the hierarchical cities was almost insulting to the later. Still, there certainly was a definite charm to the sprawling city. Brick and modernized buildings lined the streets each with their own various decorative signs and themes depending upon the stores.

White, tan, gray, and other such colors were the most typical she saw upon the structures but there were various others that appeared as well. Most buildings had either slanted or flat rooves with only slight variation in color or angle. Wide sidewalks separated the buildings and asphalt streets with lampposts placed at the edge of the latter dotted along the concrete pathways almost like rivets on a piece of metal.

People walked along the streets in the usual hustle and bustle of city life. Most were dressed casually, some dress up in more formal attire, and others, the few policemen she'd seen, were seen in uniform. They were largely either minding their own business or chatting it up with friends as they browsed stores or walked onward to whatever destination they had their fancy.

Then something caught the red eyes of the girl. A young woman walked right passed her. Not something out of the ordinary. What Saya had not been expecting was the pair of deer antlers coming from her head. Saya blinked, "A. . . beastkin. . .?"

The error of her comment was quickly made abundantly clear as immediately, the woman stopped and rounded on the poor girl. Fury danced in her eyes like a raging fire, "What did you just call me?!"

Saya shrunk back terrified, shaking slightly. The sudden shift in tone of the situation from calm and curious to furious and intimidating jarred her greatly. She was prepared for emotionally or mentally and whatever mental defense she usually put up to protect her psyche from anything even relating to such thing was not there to protect her from this. She felt weak and helpless as she tried to make herself seem small before the young, angry woman.

Coco, however, was by her side in an instant having quickly been made aware of the poor girl's plight, "What's going on?"

"Did you not hear what this little racist called me?" the deer woman growled angrily. By now, her outrage had drawn the attention of those around her. Some sympathetic to the woman's anger; many were not and seemed to be glaring more at said woman than the scared, purple-haired girl. Saya winced at the comment. She had been referred to by. . . less than flattering names before, but this was certainly a new one.

Coco blinked, "What is she talking about?"

"I-I'm sorry, miss," Saya began nervously. "I-I didn't mean to offend you. . . but beastkin is actually what we call people with. . . animal-like traits where I'm from. . . and it's not anything discriminatory. It's just what everyone calls them; even themselves. I didn't mean to offend you. . ."

Tears began forming in Saya's eyes. Even before her imprisonment, she'd never really been scolded harshly, much less yelled at. The most she had really dealt with on that front in the past had been Ragna's short temper, but her brother had a really good habit of quelling that part of him whenever he dealt with her. Sure, she had dealt with cruelty and torment from Izanami, pure and absolute hatred from Terumi, and total dehumanization from Relius, but it wasn't exactly like she had built up a tolerance to such things. As such her sensitivity to certain situations was still childishly high.

That and the suddenness of this predicament didn't help her in the slightest.

Sensing the sincerity of her words and how distraught the girl was, the fashionista turned authoritatively turned towards the deer-woman with a frown. Twice already she had upset the girl by accident. If their previous conversation had done nothing else for Coco, it was hinting at a very dark and traumatic past the assistant had in her possession. Right now, nothing irritated her more than seeing someone whom she'd been trying to become friends with reprimanded to the point of becoming emotional over a simple misunderstanding.

"Well," Coco said impatiently with her hands on her hips and her foot tapping. "Clearly this was a misunderstanding. And even if it wasn't, driving her to tears wasn't the best way to handle it, lady."

The woman responded to criticism like many adults sadly did: with a glare of denial. The woman took one last look towards the clearly-upset Saya, "I'm a faunus. You'd better get it right."

Saya nodded swiftly, "O-of course."

By now the crowd watching and grown quite a bit. Initially, political and social views dominated the watchers' opinion on who was on who's side. But even those who didn't agree with sympathizers and those who agreed in equal rights were on the distraught girl's side. Even other faunus were waning in their support for their fellow. This was not due to really agreeing with doll-girl's explanation or even the fashionista's rebuttal, but more how much of a jerk the woman was being towards the clearly sorry and regretful girl. Ultimately, that's what swayed everyone to the younger female's side: she was sympathetic, the woman was not.

Seeing her losing popular favor to her cause, the woman gave a begrudging 'hmph' and walked off.

With that, the crowd dispersed just as quickly as it convened soon leaving no one but Saya and Coco standing there. The latter placed a soothing hand on the former's shoulder, "You alright?"

Saya took a couple of deep breaths to collect herself before giving a defeated sigh, "I'm. . . sorry for being so emotionally weak there. I mean. . . I'm supposed to be an assistant teacher. . . someone for the students to look up to and—"

A finger to the lips silences Saya's self-loathing.

"Stop," Coco said. "Look, I don't know the situation that led to you becoming an assistant teacher at Beacon, but I can tell it isn't due to experience or skill as a huntress. Honestly, it's not my place to question the decision, but it's clear to me you've been through a lot. Don't worry about my opinion of you. I still respect you as Professor Goodwitch's assistant."

In her heart and in her mind though, it didn't matter to her. The last, dozen years of her life had truly been a hell, but she felt it was still no excuse for how fragile she had just acted. As they always seemed to do, her thoughts turned to her older brother Ragna. She had seen what he had become that night Izanami visited the sister's grave while Ragna and the twin-tailed, blonde girl were there. Yes, his short temper had gotten all the fierier since her kidnapping – not that she could really blame him for that – but he had fought through such strife for her sake. Even if he had said he was going to kill her she knew deep down it was because he didn't think there was any way to free her from Izanami, and she'd be lying to herself if she still didn't feel that rang true. She understood what her brother was trying to do and knew he was only attempting it because he saw no other option available.

That sort of thing really grew her love and respect for her older brother. Despite the world itself being turned against him, despite everything he had ever known turning completely on its head, and despite failure after failure, her brother was still strong enough to try and save her from Izanami, even if that meant releasing her from the world as well. A grim reality but they were terrible decisions that few wear willing to think about and even fewer were willing to make. It took a special kind of person to make such a terrible choice out of such terrible odds and options. She didn't think she could ever make such a decision. But it showed the great difference in mental fortitude between the siblings. Saya desired – no. . . needed – to be strong, too. With that, her resolve had been solidified. This public embarrassment had been the last straw. From now on she would try to work through her trauma. To overcome it.

Even if it was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She had to try. Feeling sorry for what happened would only be letting Izanami and Terumi win and she'd be damned if she allowed that. She took one last deep breath before smiling and nodding at her companion in the city.

The brown-themed girl smirked, "Alright then, my little empress, now with that obstacle overcome onto the task at hand!"

* * *

The employment of Coco's favorite tailor shop was certainly ecstatic to study Saya's imperial garments. It was a little embarrassing for her to be honest. Between two of the employees tugging at every piece of her Imperator robes to understand every nook and cranny of the design to a third employee writing down notes in such a frenzy you'd swear he was just scribbling lines, Saya was sure she'd accidentally walked into a madhouse by accident. The innumerable questions and comments from the erratic employees didn't exactly help either.

"Where did you get such fantastically regal clothing?!"

"It looks like something the Mistral royalty would wear!"

"I know! The design is so unique and elegant!"

"The cloth is smooth and flowing! What's it made off?!"

"Who put together your wardrobe?! I must meet them!"

The bombardment of words the purple-haired girl's ears was truly relentless practically causing her brain to overload from the surplus of information it was receiving against its will. She was thankful she hadn't worn the rest of the outfit since her first night in Remnant. She didn't want to even think about how these people would've reacted had they seen her entire wardrobe worn upon her figure.

A soft, suppressed giggle caught her attention. Saya turned her head and narrowed her eyes at the source of the gleeful sound. Coco was standing not too far away from the entire charade with a hand over her mouth trying desperately to cover up her amusement at her new friend's 'woeful' predicament.

"Enjoying yourself?" Coco asked teasingly her through the torrent of words coming from the three people still picking apart Saya's outfit.

"You could've at least warned me," came the accusing reply. Coco struggled to hold back further laughter.

"Why? This is funny to watch."

"You know I'm going to get you back for this, right?"

"No, you won't," Coco said moving both her hands to her hips and she tilted slightly forward in a gesture that could only be described as 'Oh yeah?'. "I can already tell you're too kind-hearted for that, little empress."

"We will see, now won't we?" Saya smiled with her eyes still narrowed.

Truthfully, Coco was probably right in her assessment. If she was to be honest, Saya was just unprepared for the attention. And she had learned quite quickly that the fashionista loved to tease those she considered friends. It was interesting to see how quickly said second-year had gained this trust within her. Coco almost reminded her of her brief encounter with Ruby the other day in the sense that they both had this infectiously cheerful personality though Coco's was more mature and teasing while Ruby was more innocent and energetic. She wondered to herself how well those two would get along.

Finally, the brown-themed girl decided to step in, "So, do you guys think you'll be able to replicate her outfit by the weekend?"

The employees stopped flaunting over the girl-turned-doll and turned to face Coco. Their faces no longer practically having stars in their eyes at Saya's clothing design but rather with serious faces in deep contemplation. Saya blinked in surprise. To be fair, she preferred this sudden shift of tone to the one she had experienced not an hour ago.

"We certainly have gotten enough notes to perfectly replicate her outfit," one of the employees said causing Saya's left eye to twitch slightly in annoyance. "But it certainly will take some time to replicate on top of every other order we have to deal with. We can probably have the first one done by the weekend though."

"I'm fine with receiving them one at a time," Saya spoke up gaining the attention of all four fashion-addicted people. She didn't want to sound too needy after all.

"Perfect!" Coco smiled. "We can pick the first one up Saturday."

"Wait," exclaimed one of the employees. The others blinked and look at her. "What about her shoes? We never did get to see what kind of footwear she had worn with those clothing."

Saya immediately paled at the statement and hastily stated, "Thank you but that won't be necessary."

Something immediately clicked with the brown-themed fashionista. Flashbacks to earlier in the day crossed rapidly through her mind. When the employees went to protest she skillfully interrupted, "I'm sure that's okay, right?"

Seeing Coco jump into the conversation, the three employees reluctantly complied with the request and backed off. With whatever catastrophe that had appeared to be in the works now effectively avoided, the second-year proceed to pay for the clothing that was now in production allowing Saya and Coco to continue on their way.

For a while, silence overshadowed the two as they walked on towards their next destination. The purple-haired vessel couldn't help but look up at the brown-themed lady next to her. Something definitely seemed to be eating away at her, and Saya had a pretty good idea about what it was, "You're curious why I didn't want them to see my feet, aren't you?"

Coco stiffed at the out-of-the-blue comment. Was she that easy to read? Coco opened her mouth to respond, but Saya beat her to it, "But you didn't want to say anything because you were afraid of upsetting me like earlier, right?"

Coco's mouth froze open for a couple seconds before she closed it. A couple of blinks remained hidden from view by her shades.

"You don't have to fear my response. Honestly, I don't want to be pampered or babied over what happened. Perhaps I have the right to that – for people to be tiptoeing around eggshells for me – but I don't have such luxury."

Coco looked down at the girl next to her stunned at what she was hearing.

"I need to have the mental fortitude to accept what happened and move on. . . I can't live like a scared child," Saya then stopped causing her companion to stop as well. Red, ringed eyes stared into brown eyes through dark shades. "I hope now I can consider you a friend, Coco, and. . . I don't want you to be afraid to ask me about anything. I don't want you to fear unearthing some bad memories. To be honest, practically everything is likely to do that. I may not want to reveal what you ask about at that time, but, please, don't be afraid to make me uncomfortable. . . I can no longer afford to be mentally weak. . ."

The two stared at each other before Saya's eyes finally left the fashionista's shades and stared at the ground probably trying to wrap her own head around what she just said. Coco smiled and pulled the girl into a hug, surprising Saya, "Gotta admit, you surprised me there. Honestly, you're probably stronger mentally than you realize."

Saya blinked in surprise, "Really?"

"Yeah, you admit that you have a weakness and you want to overcome it. Not only that you don't want to dwell on the past so you're trying to get past it. Not a lot of people can do that nor do a lot even want to."

Coco separated from the hug and Saya finally smiled a genuine smile, "I won't deny I've been through a lot. I'll never forget what happened to me. But I will not let it control me."

Saya thoughts darkened briefly, " _Especially when it could actually lead to 'her' controlling me_."

Coco nodded, "And if you ever need help with that, you know who to call, right?"

She said this while pointing her thumb at herself. Saya laughed lightly at her new friend's action, "You're at the top of the list."

"You bet."

With that, both continued walking along the path. It was an awkward silence; neither knowing how to continue after their 'bonding' moment. Coco again felt antsy but took Saya's words to heart, hesitantly asking, "So. . . your feet?"

Saya's eyes fell hidden behind her hair bangs, "W-when we're alone. . . on the way back to Beacon."

Coco nodded in understanding. Somehow, though, she got the feeling that it was going to be a long, terrible flight back. . .

* * *

It was just after lunch when the bullhead finally landed in Beacon returning the second-year student and the teacher's assistant to their rightful place. They thanked the pilot as they left with a few shopping bags filled with basic, feminine necessities that Saya needed for daily life in Beacon. Despite their good haul that morning and a pretty decent lunch, all things considered, both girls walked downtrodden from the aircraft towards the dormitories.

For Coco, the revelation of what had happened to Saya had been a shocking and disturbing one to say the least. She didn't know many details but the idea that someone would kidnap a young, orphan girl and transform her into what essentially was a doll over the course of a decade seemed too surreal and too much out of some horror story for it to be real. But seeing Saya's feet began to show her different especially when Saya began to go into detail about her other. . . components.

Needless to say, after the shorthand description of what had been done to her had been wrapped up, Coco felt like she was going to be sick. Honestly, after that and seeing what the purple-haired doll now had to consider as her 'feet', she didn't need to know any more about her history. It was one thing hearing a completely messed up story by reading it or from the mouth of someone else, but for said person to tell the story themselves and to show the results of it were beyond chilling for the fashionista.

But by far the worst part of the whole ordeal was Saya herself. Listening to the tone she used while telling her tale, devoid of emotion and hope – a surreal sound that seemed more home in dark paranormal – her words practically echoing in an emptiness that no performer could even come close to replicating. Her face was like a statue; frozen stiff in a mask void of anything discerning her as a living human as if all semblance of a soul and been drained away briskly by some unknown entity.

And her eyes. . . Coco shuddered. They seemed dead during the brief time she described what had been done to her. Void of life and joy. Coco could tell she was struggling to prevent tears from flooding from the red orbs.

" _She doesn't have the luxury to let her past control her. . ._ " Coco shuddered, remembering what the girl had been telling her before. " _What could possibly be so terrible on top of everything else to convince herself of that?_ "

On the surface, she could agree with the girl's words, not dwelling on her past, but this? She didn't see how that would be remotely possible, especially not by a girl with a heart like Saya's. Coco didn't think she wanted to know what was forcing Saya to take such measures to overcome a past that by all rights would break pretty much anyone.

Saya, to her credit, wore a blank expression instead of a grim one as they walked onward down Beacon's central causeway. On the inside, however, her mental state was a torrent of emotions the likes of which she had never expected. She had purposely suppressed any emotion toward her past from escaping her body as she again retold her tale. The last time she had described her life to someone – Ozpin and Glynda – she had broken down almost immediately in an unimaginable tidal wave of grief, anger, and fear. This time, however, she was determined to not allow that to happen. To have the mental fortitude to defy herself from breaking down in tears.

The result, however, was far from what she expected. Sure, she may have appeared like the retelling didn't affect her, but inside she knew better. She was so torn up inside. Even after an hour had passed since her revelation had ended, moments she'd wish she'd forgotten flashed through her mind over and over again. The abstract screams of her past self, the maniacal laughter of Terumi, and echoes of dehumanizing statements by Relius himself haunted her even now ignoring the fact that words hadn't left her mouth for almost an hour.

This couldn't be what mental fortitude was. Holding everything in – bottling it all up to prevent it from escaping – she felt like she was going to pop from the strain. She felt more terrible then when she allowed her emotions to excessive flow from her spirit. She felt weak then, but now being hyperaware of the mental state that was consuming her. . .

" _What am I doing wrong?_ " Saya thought miserably as she struggled hopelessly to endure her distress and anguish.

Their silent, troubled walk towards Saya's dorm was halted however by a teenaged girl's cry, "Coco!"

Running towards them was a group of three people: two males, one female. The female was head of the other two and had obviously been the one to call out to them.

The girl was not that much taller than Saya herself with long, brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a black, semi-translucent shirt under a short, long-sleeved, brown jacket with a golden zipper, brown shorts with golden designs, and black leggings. Armaments on his outfit included golden vambraces and spaulders. The most notable thing about her, however, was the two, brown rabbit-ears on her head.

" _Faunus_ ," Saya silently reminded herself. She didn't need the incident from earlier occurring again.

The first of the boys that got her attention was the taller one. And that was an understatement. The young man was easily seven-foot with very short, black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a long, short-sleeved robe that was cut diagonally from the center of this right shoulder to mid-torso on his left side. The robe was fastened around his waist by a leather, armored belt that had two pouches on its left side. Black and green boots, brown pants, a 5-layered sode armor piece on his left arm, and a sleeveless-black undershirt completed the outfit.

The other boy was roughly the same height as Coco. His skin was much darker than his two companions along with burnt orange hair and white eyes. He wore a sleeveless, muted-orange zipper vest with black trimmings along with black jeans and brown, laced shoes. Notably about him were the scars on his arms and the single one on his face.

A tired smile formed on Coco's lips at their approach, "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Where have you been?" The rabbit-girl asked stopping right in front of the duo.

"Out and about? You?"

"Wondering where are you ran off to," replied the tall boy. He then turned to the much shorter girl that he towered over. "And who's this?"

"This," Coco said while placing a hand on her shoulder. "Is Professor Goodwitch's new assistant, Saya."

The trio stared in surprise. The rabbit-girl bowed her head in nervousness, "O-oh, nice to meet you, Miss Saya."

Saya tiredly raised her hand, "Saya is fine. Thanks."

She then turned towards her companion, "Coco, who are they?"

Coco, despite mentally exhausted, smiled with pride, "This is my team. Team CFVY. This is Velvet, the tall one is Yatsuhashi, and Mr. Quiet is Fox."

Saya bowed respectfully, "Nice to meet you."

The three nodded in return.

"So," Velvel began slowly. "Where were you all day?"

Coco raised an eyebrow, "All day? It's barely past lunch."

"Y-you know what I meant!"

"I was out in Vale with Saya here. Apparently, she was lacking some very important things like toothpaste, soap, and other such things."

Saya was silently thankful that Coco hadn't mentioned any of the more. . . personal items that were on that list. The trio, on the other hand, blinked in confusion.

"Why wouldn't she have any of those things already?" Yatsuhashi asked.

A tense aura enveloped the five. The other members of Team CFVY were overwhelmed by the feeling. Their leader's reply was simple, "It's. . . complicated, guys."

That was the only thing that needed to be said. The team innately understood the silent order from their leader: leave the subject well enough alone. Not wanting to remain in their new, awkward position, Coco and Saya proceed forward to their destination. Team CFVY followed quietly behind their leader and the new member of Beacon's faculty all the while wondering what had spooked their 'fearless' leader while simultaneously knowing that they liking didn't want to know the answer.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay on this chapter, but I have work and it consumed a lot of time recently. That and the fact I reworked sections of this chapter several times because I just wasn't satisfied with it didn't help. I'm still not very satisfied with the chapter but it's not for the reasons you likely are thinking.**

 **Either way, I'm glad you all have been enjoying the story for the most part. Special thanks to my sister for drawing the cover page for me. Very much appreciate it. Her work is spectacular every time.**

 **Thank you everyone! Please review!**

 **~ Omniczar**

* * *

 **Response to Review**

 **Ihavenonamingskillwhatsoever –** That name though. Anyway, you all love assuming this is taking place after Central Fiction, don't ya? What do they say about assuming? That it—

 **Thepingman –** Yeah, sorry about that. Honestly, I did think about that. I just didn't want people to wonder what the hell I was talking about when responding, but I see your point. I've fixed the chapters to make it better.

 **Student –** Half that post feels more like it should be on a forum to be honest, but in a good way. Anyway, that's reaching deep into spoiler territory so what happens you're just going to have to wait and see. But I'm certain you must be happy that your last point is coming to fruition.

 **Guest –** Not entirely but close.

 **Guest –** Yeah, I'm surprised more people don't bring that up. Turning people into dolls thing is definitely a horror story plotline so yeah, it's kinda f'ed up.

 **NatsuErzaDragneelSusanoo –** You're welcome.

 **Guest –** I will neither confirm nor deny that.

 **Shirosaki Kizuro –** Will do.

 **Guest –** It's called me being overzealous on my part. Don't worry I'm certain for one reason or another you'll be getting mass updates again at some point.

 **Lazruth –** The dialogue thing. . . eh, I feel like I make it obvious enough who's talking. If there are some that aren't please let me know and I'll take a look at them.

 **DarthMaine –** Read the notable characters list. That outta give you a clue.


	6. Kindred Spirits Part 1

**Disclaimer – I do not own either Blazblue or RWBY. They are owned by Arc Systems and Roosterteeth respectively.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _"Thoughts/Flashback"_

 **Aura/Semblance/Drive/Etc**

 ** _"Izanami Mental Speaking"_**

 **Chapter 6 – Kindred Spirits [Part 1]**

* * *

The echoing of metal clashing against metal resonated throughout the training room as two, first-year students clashed in frenzy of footwork and combative tactics in a race to deplete the other's supply of aura first. The two fighters glided around each other attempting to outmaneuver each other in a graceful dance of skill and precision that few their age could match.

Red and black darted and clashed against red and gold as the two battled for supremacy in the makeshift ring. Scythe striking against xiphos. Rose petals flashing around the golden and red wardrobe. It was a mesmerizing sight.

Saya smiled as she watched the fight between Ruby and Pyrrha. Ruby's cheerful and competitive smile took over her features as she fought utilizing her blazing speed against the elder prodigy.

Truth be told, the purple-haired girl was still astounded by the fighting skill of the students. While second-years like Coco Adel clearly had more skill and experience in the art the first years were pretty impressive in their own right. Certainly, far more than what she was capable of despite what apparent powers she may possess.

Saya shivered slightly at the thought. She hated the idea that her powers were almost entirely based on the fact she was the vessel for the Goddess of Death herself. It felt almost. . . wrong to use those abilities; almost like it left her open to Izanami to potentially try to retake control. She also knew though that leaving herself completely blind to such powers was an ill-advised tactic as well and by the same token experience with Izanami's powers might also give her an edge in confronting Izanami herself since it was inevitable and Saya knew that well.

Ominously, Izanami hadn't appeared in her nightmares since taunting her with the idea that she was going to let Saya stay in control; which was about a week ago. It was a bit disconcerting for the young assistant to say the least. Due to this, she had started practicing after class each day. Neither Professor Goodwitch or Professor Ozpin were there to observe her. Honestly, she didn't want them staring over her shoulder, at least not at first. She didn't know how different utilizing aura was to utilizing her own powers, but until she got a basic grasp of how her abilities truly worked she was going to attempt to do this on her own.

In addition to that little detail was also the much larger problem: these powers belonged to Izanami. She was still scared of the death goddess's power and rightfully so, and therefore came to the conclusion that it was probably safer that until she had a better grasp of what she was dealing with to not allow anyone to be there when she practiced and experimented. She didn't want to find out the hard way what happened if she lost control of the death goddess's powers with someone innocent in the vicinity.

The sound of the match ending rang in Saya's ears breaking her from her thoughts and returning her to reality. Pyrrha had won the match though with some difficulty. Ruby was a pretty unique opponent for anyone though didn't quite have the experience or skill to match with the older prodigy. Saya could imagine Ruby winning, or at the very least making the match much closer, if she was the same age as the red-haired warrioress, but considering that she had entered Beacon two years early the result was still pretty impressive. Well, to the doll-girl it was anyway. She'd never bothered to ask Glynda about her opinion and it hadn't come up in any conversation they'd had as of yet.

As Pyrrha and Ruby shook hands and shared a few, happy comments as they left the stage, the teacher, Professor Goodwitch, called the next combatants down.

"Jaune Arc. Yang Xiao Long. You two are up next," she said sternly, leaving no room for argument.

Even from the distance she was 'standing' at Saya could visibly see the blond-haired boy paled at the mention of his opponent. The regally-dressed girl frowned. She really couldn't understand how his transcripts could speak so highly of him. She was almost positive he was comparable to her in skill in combat and she hadn't had a day of combat training in her life. She didn't count her instinctual or conscious use of Izanami's powers. It hadn't really used them to fight anyone anyway.

Shortly after being called down, Yang and Jaune were standing across from each other in the arena, their auras proudly displayed as a meter below their faces on a screen to the far side of said arena.

Yang smirked confidently at the boy. Said boy was trying to steel his nerves for the fight at hand. Saya sighed. This was going to be pathetically quick.

And she was right.

After about 30 seconds of well-placed, powerful strike the makeshift-knight was sent flying out of the ring thus declaring Yang the victor in the bout. It was very underwhelming in comparison to all the fights she had seen thus far and what had grown to become the expectation she had of the students of Beacon.

Saya couldn't help but to gently place her hand on her face suffering to hold back a groan from the lackluster display. She honestly felt kind of sorry for the boy. This whole thing must have been nothing but humiliating for him.

Glynda herself was much more capable of control herself and professionally kept from imitating her assistant's gesture, but their thought processes were virtually identical. As Jaune painfully arose and Yang walked off, the bell signifying the end of class rang and students began making their way out of the room after some concluding thoughts from her teacher.

As the students were leaving, Saya turned to her boss and whispered, "Jaune's skills certainly leave. . . much to be desired."

"Quite the understatement," Glynda replied in an equally hushed tone. Conversations between the two of them had become quite frequent during their time proctoring match-ups between students usually discussing various things about the fights. But a conversation that had yet to come up, due to how little actually needed to be said about it, was Jaune's below average performance in combat class.

"Are we certain his transcripts are accurate?"

Glynda frowned, "I've been beginning to wonder that myself."

"Should we ask Ozpin about it?"

"I know him very well, Saya," Glynda sighed. "Even if something wasn't right with Mr. Arc's transcripts he would know about it. If he didn't think Jaune could make it here, he wouldn't allow the boy here."

Saya 'hmmed' at that before turning to leave. The professor inquisitively asked, "Where are you off to?"

The purple-haired girl stopped and turned her head around enough to look at the teacher, "I'm going to ask Ozpin about it if he's not busy. If nothing else but to satisfying my own curiosity."

Glynda nodded and motioned her to leave. Saya had only known Ozpin for just over a week so the Goodwitch knew she didn't have the complete trust in Ozpin's decision-making skills that she did.

* * *

The ding of the elevator roused Ozpin from the work he was trying to complete at his desk. He'd been dealing with the typical paperwork that his position required of him and had been making good progress. However, the unexpected visitor would put a bit of delay in that plan.

" _So much for finishing early_ ," Ozpin thought as he steeled his expression.

That thought process immediately changed when he saw who entered his office: the death goddess's vessel herself. Any chance he had to converse with the young girl was welcome to him. She was such a mystery to him despite everything he'd been through, everything he'd seen, everything he'd done. Never had he heard of a Goddess of Death before meeting her, but he had little reason to truly doubt her story.

Plus, the fact that someone legitimately turned her into what essentially was a doll to act as this being's vessel. That takes an immense level of intellect to pull that off, which made him all the more concerned with who would be behind the poor girl's transformation.

Even still, he still desired to know more about seithr and the art that utilized it to combine sorcery and science: Ars Magus. He hadn't had the opportunity since that fact had been brought up to speak with her on the subject, but he knew if anything could potentially save Autumn from her fate it was this seemingly-mythical art. He'd be damned before he gave up on saving her. Bar something completely immoral, he'd try anything he could to recover the poor maiden and not letting her die.

They had discussed transferring her power to another but that would inevitably lead to Amber's death and he wanted to avoid that if at all possible. This might just be the out he needed.

Still, he doubted Saya was here to discuss that so he'd have to figure out a good opportunity to discuss it in the future.

"Yes, Saya," Ozpin started politely as she approached him and stopped just before his desk. "How may I help you?"

"Just curious about something," Saya replied simply folding her hands together before her and hiding them in the step-shaped, three-piece sleeves she wore.

"What would that be if I may ask?" the headmaster asked, genuinely curious.

The purple-haired girl took a deep breath before bluntly asking, "What's going on with Jaune Arc?"

Ozpin mentally sighed though professionally kept his face neutral, "What do you mean, Saya?"

Saya's eyes narrowed slightly but it was almost unnoticeable. It was only his keen eye that managed to spot it. She took another, far less noticeable breath, and continued, "His transcripts don't match up with his performance. I was curious if you could shed some light on it."

There was a silence that prevailed over the two of them as they attempted to study each other. The green-suited man was about to speak when the girl across from him spoke up again, "I don't care what the answer is or what the reason is. I won't question the decision you made on allowing him here or spread rumors or lies about it. I just want to see if my thought on the truth is correct."

Ozpin had to stop his face from being taking over by the wide smile that was threatening to pierce his features. Even still, he couldn't help but lose some territory from the invading emotional symbol, " _So she did figure it out. She was just looking for confirmation to her thoughts. She wasn't disapproving the decision; she trying to understand it. If only more people were like you, Saya . . ._ "

He had to give her credit; despite being isolated from the world for years she was a quick learner and very intelligent. Perhaps a bit fragile and ignorant but truthfully, he couldn't even begin to blame her for that. He doubted he would've fared much better than her, if at all better, if put in a similar situation as her current one.

"I believe you already figured it out," the headmaster said simply.

Saya nodded, "His transcripts are fake. They certainly don't match with anything Jaune has demonstrated in combat class. Other academics are passable but not on the level a good graduate of a previous, combat school would be expected to have. I would ask to look at other transcripts from the same school to compare them with Jaune's but I didn't think I had the authority to do that."

Ozpin nodded in agreement with Saya's conclusion.

"So that leaves the question, Headmaster. I know it's not my place to question how you run your school but this doesn't seem to me like it's a good idea at all. So, if I may be as so bold to ask, what part of all this am I missing?"

There was a pause before Ozpin stood up and walked to the left towards the windows on the sides of his office, "Have you ever compared yourself to him, Saya? To Mr. Arc."

She blinked in surprise at the question. She hadn't been expecting that at all.

"Um. . . what do you mean, professor?"

"Have you really stopped to think about it? I imagine you haven't," he continued, turning to face the much-shorter female. "Out of your element, blessed with immense potential, very intelligent, and both in a position in my school without going through the proper channels to do so."

Saya winced at the last one. She'd been annoyed with Jaune about his fake transcripts, but she hadn't exactly applied traditionally to be a part of Beacon's faculty either. Thinking about it more though, the job had been offered to her by Ozpin while Jaune had entered Beacon through seemingly-dubious ways. So, in a sense he was right but context could falsify that claim.

But she felt what the headmaster was trying to get at was that both herself and Jaune were underqualified in one field or another for the school. It was a fact she definitely saw.

"Despite how he attempted to enter Beacon I saw an immense amount of potential in him," Ozpin stated softly. "Just as I see with you."

If Saya could even blush anymore, she knew she would be. How long had it been since she had received a genuine compliment? It was kind of embarrassing to say the least.

"You are the vessel of the Goddess of Death, have been through terrible ordeals, and yet you still hold strong despite that. You haven't broken."

Saya practically gaped at that statement. Tears began forming in her eyes. Was that the answer? Ever since her. . . moment with Coco a week ago she had been trying several tactics to improve her mental strength. Had she really been blinded to the truth? Had she really hidden the actual answer of 'how' from herself?

"Strong?" Saya whimpered. "You mean mentally strong?"

Ozpin walked over and placed his free hand on the girl's shoulder, "Saya, mental strength is not about denying your emotions or refusing to feel sorrow for anything. It's about being able to overcome that which seeks to break you, to accept circumstances, and to carry on with a joyful smile to support those around you. Mental strength is not a constant, Saya. We all have moments of weakness, but consider all you've had to endure I would hardly consider yourself mentally weak. Would you?"

The words certainly hit home for Saya, and they certainly meant a lot to her but. . . something simply didn't seem right to her. What he said was true but it also raised her confusion. What was she trying to accomplish? What did she even mean by mental fortitude? Because if she was to be honest with herself, even she didn't really know what she was she trying to accomplish. She only had the vaguest idea of what she wanted.

To hid her doubtful thoughts, she smiled at the man before her, "Thank you, Headmaster."

He nodded and removed his hand from her allowing her to turn to leave. Saya proceeded to leave, her mind clouded by her current state of brainstorming.

* * *

Saya made her way down the hallway of the dormitories. She was silently cursing herself. Why hadn't she asked this question to either Glynda or Ozpin again? Was she embarrassed to ask about it? Afraid of their response? She didn't know. More likely she was unsure herself and wanted a second opinion before she went to the professors about it.

Searching for Team CFVY's dorm when she had never asked where it was painful to say the least. She could call them, but she still was getting the hang of using her scroll. As a matter of fact, without being guided by Coco she wouldn't have even known how to enter their contacts into the scroll.

Her frustrated musings were cut off by the innocent, childish cry of a young girl who suddenly appeared right in front of her without warning, "Hi, Saya!"

Saya yelped and jumped slightly, briefly losing her now-subconscious control over her levitation and fell straight onto her butt.

"Whoops," the girl, now whom Saya could easily identify as Ruby, blushed as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Sorry about that, Saya."

"Please don't startle me like that," Saya nearly whined as she got herself up with a helping hand from Ruby. Saya smiled at the younger girl, "Hi, Ruby. How's your first week been?"

"Great!" Ruby said cheerfully. "I mean, yeah, it's had its ups and downs but it's going so much better now!"

"Good. Speaking of, that was a good match you had with Ms. Nikos earlier."

"Really? You think so?" Ruby said with sparkles in her eyes. Saya nervously chuckled at the displayed.

"Yes, I do."

Ruby smiled before her expression instantly jolted into a bit of a 'wait a minute' face. The doll-girl could almost see the exclamation mark appearing over the crimsonette's head.

"Hey, Saya, have you met the rest of my team?"

Saya thought back to the ceremony thinking about who was on Ruby's team. She remembered her sister Yang and the white-haired girl who Ruby had a confrontation with when Saya first arrived. The only one she didn't know about was the black-haired, quiet one.

"I think the only one I haven't met is the black-haired girl. Miss Belladonna I think?"

"Yeah, Blake," Ruby cheerfully replied with an innocent smile. "How about you come to our dorm and meet her?"

"Well," Saya started with reluctance in her tone. "I'm not entirely sure that's proper as a teacher's assistant to be hanging out in student dorms. Besides, I was in the middle of something. . ."

"Oh," Ruby said, her cute face falling into a downtrodden form. A pang of guilt rung through Saya as she tried her hardest not to give in to instinct and hug the poor girl to comfort her. The young prodigy then nervously grabbed her arm with her opposite hand and asked, "Well, um, do you need help?"

Saya was about to reply with a 'no' when she realized that maybe Ruby could help her with her current predicament. If nothing else, it would hopefully snap the adorable crimsonette out of her disappointment which was increasing Saya's guilt substantially every second she stared at her.

"Actually," Saya eyes widened as Ruby did an immediate 180 into a stare of hopefulness. "Do you happen to know where Team CFVY's dorm is?"

Ruby blinked, "Uh. . . whose?"

Saya quickly stopped herself from staring at the girl with an expression screaming 'seriously?' at the response, " _Well that answers that question._ "

"They're a second-year team," Saya answered as tactfully as she could. "I'm trying to ask them a question?"

"Oh, maybe me and my team – er, my team and I – could help you!"

Again, the purple-haired girl went to respond with a negative until she again stopped herself. This time, however, it wasn't due to her guilty conscious. It was due to the fact that Ruby was right. She didn't need to go to Team CFVY for this question. Pretty much anyone who used aura could likely answer this question. But then there was the whole reason she was going to Team CFVY, Coco specifically, for it.

She was embarrassed to ask about it due to how it would affect her and people's opinion of her as an assistant at Beacon. She also wasn't sure how eager the professors would react to what she was after either. She had a good feeling they'd understand and even agree, but she didn't want to rely on them for everything. They were very busy after all.

There was also one other reason and it was perhaps the main one she was keeping her current plan very secretive.

But despite those thoughts and reasons, she still let out a breath of guilt. Ruby had pretty much been the first person her age that she had ever interacted with at Beacon. She dared to even say they had had a blossoming friendship at the time. Coco knew part of the truth, not as much as Ozpin or Glynda, but a darker part of it. If she was honest with herself, she knew she wanted – needed – more friends. Ruby and her team seemed like perfect candidates if she was to be honest with herself.

And if that was the case, she owed them some level of trust into what her situation was truly like.

"Sure, Ruby," Saya said softly, reluctant and worried to have the words leave her mouth.

As soon as those words left her mouth, Ruby latched her hand onto Saya's in a vice grip, "Alright, let's go!"

Before she could even protest, Saya was practically dragged off to the dorm down the hall. It was thankfully a short trip. Saya was very grateful that she no longer needed to eat because she was pretty certain that she would've emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor due to her nausea.

" _Guess this doll body is good for something_ ," she thought bitterly as Ruby opened her dorm and walked inside.

"Hello?" she asked as if to inquire if anyone was inside her dormitory.

"Yeah, Rubes?" came the voice of Ruby's sister Yang from inside.

"We have a guest!" Ruby said happily, moving out of the way to motion Saya inside.

"A guest?" came another voice that Saya recognized as the white-haired heiress, Weiss Schnee.

Saya entered and blinked in surprise. A nervous sweat fell down her head as she looked at the. . . interesting sight before her.

The room was virtually identical to the one she possessed her but to say a few alterations had been done to it would be a terrible understatement. The beds had been arranged into bunk beds but it must have been the most haphazard, rickety sight she had ever seen. One the left the bottom bunk was normal but the other was floating in the air, blanket and all, by ropes that hung it from the ceiling. The ones on the right were stacked right on top of each other with not but a stack of books under each leg to keep it up.

Saya kept blinked her wide eyes as she stood in the doorway to the room as if that would remove an illusion covering the room to show what it did currently. The trick didn't seem to be working.

"That has to be the single most unstable thing I have ever seen to date," Saya absentmindedly said. And all thing's considered, that was certainly saying something.

The three other occupants of the room looked up from what they were doing. Yang had been at a desk to Yang's right working on something involving school. Weiss was sitting on her bed just getting her shoes off, likely beginning to change into something a bit more comfortable for the evening. The third girl, Blake, was already dressed down into what Saya could only assume were her pajamas, a short, black robe and a black bowtie on top of her head, lounging on her bed reading something quietly in the corner.

"Hey Saya," Yang said smirking, waving at her.

"U-uh, Miss Saya!" Weiss, on the other hand, was surprised and caught completely off-guard by the sudden appearance of a member of Beacon's faculty. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Ruby insisted that I meet her fourth teammate," Saya said simply before floating gently over to the girl lounging on her bottom bunk. "Blake Belladonna?"

The girl looked up at her with amber eyes, "Yes, nice to meet you, Miss Saya."

Saya waved her hand dismissively, "Saya is fine, Miss Belladonna."

"Then called me Blake."

Saya nodded. It was then that Ruby asked, "So Saya, what was your question that you wanted to ask?"

"A question? For us?" Yang asked curiously.

"We, of course, will answer it to the best of our ability," the team's heiress said recovering from her earlier stupor.

The four pairs of eyes were focused on the teacher's aide as she hesitated a bit before she moved further towards the window and turned around to be able to at least face in the general direction of the four females who occupied the room.

"Um, well. . .," Saya nervously began. "I was curious as to how you unlock someone's aura."

The question certainly wasn't what any of Team RWBY were expecting. They traded glances, confused on how to respond.

"Hey, uh, no offense, Saya," Yang said slowly as if she were carefully choosing her words. "But that doesn't seem like something an assistant teacher at Beacon would be asking students about."

"Yang!" Weiss hissed. "Did you have to word it like that?"

"It's fine, Miss Schnee," Saya said gently. "Ruby could you please shut the door? This conversation is about to get. . . a bit personal. . ."

Ruby stared at the purple-haired girl in surprise but nodded and went to do so. Meanwhile, Saya turned to the white-haired girl sitting down next to her and asked, "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Weiss nodded and motioned for her to sit, "Please."

Ruby walked back over after shutting the door and sat down in front of Saya. At the same time, Yang got up from where she was sitting and sat down next to her sister. Blake got up and sat on the edge of her bed. The vessel of death now had the team's undivided attention.

Saya was quiet for a bit before she, ever so slowly, began, "I know I haven't known you all long – one of you not more than a few minutes – but there are so few people I know and trust as it is. . . what I am about to tell you is very personal and does not leave this room. Do you all understand?"

The four girls nodded silently letting Saya continue. Even Ruby was watching her friend with a worried expression. Saya took a deep breath and continued, "Now, please try not to interrupt me."

Another pause.

"Contrary to what you may think, my aura is not unlocked."

Looks of confusion and alarm immediately arose from the four, however, the remained silent and did not voice their emotion-born responses just yet.

"My life is very. . . complicated. Let's just say that for the last decade or so I've been a prisoner within my own body and leave it at that."

The quartet didn't know how to respond. This whole thing had come right out of nowhere for them and they hadn't had time to mentally prepare for it. A prisoner in her own body? Each of the girl's imaginations suddenly went full throttle from the idea; all of them coming to their own conclusion about what she was talking about. None of their results were good.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, Saya," Yang said carefully. "But if your aura isn't unlocked, how did you do that thing with the chains?"

Word of what happened during Saya's first class had spread quickly among the second-year students and as a result the rest of the school itself. None of the school had doubted for an instant that Saya earned her place in the faculty of Beacon. After all, one does not simply just completely halt an attack from a second-year student like it was nothing. So to hear straight from the girl's mouth she hadn't even unlocked her aura yet was certainly a shocking revelation.

"Like I said. . . it's complicated, but it involves what I said about being a prisoner within my own body."

Yang nodded in understanding. It was then that Weiss spoke up, "So I'm guessing by asking the question about how auras are unlocked you want yours unlocked then?"

Saya turned and smiled in an amused fashion at the heiress, "So much for not interrupting, huh?"

Weiss had the decency to blush in response to that as did Yang who also chuckled awkwardly as she grabbed the back of her neck with one hand.

"But," the purple-haired girl continued. "You are correct, Weiss. I know due to my. . . circumstances. . . it's not necessary. But it doesn't feel right to me. I don't think I can effectively do my job as an assistant for Professor Goodwitch, the combat instructor no less, if I'm incapable of fighting in the same fashion as you students are and the professors themselves are capable of."

"Understandable," Blake spoke matter-of-factly.

Ruby had been quiet up to this point, her mind trying to compute the implications of everything Saya had said. Truthfully, Ruby had an inkling of how deep the darkness in Saya's words went. Something terrible had happened to her, but Team RWBY's leader couldn't figure out what it was or how she could even tell in the first place.

Nevertheless, this little tidbit was all she needed to solidify her resolve to help someone she did consider a friend, even if she hadn't spent a lot of time with her, "I can unlock your aura."

The other four girls in the room all gazed at the youngest of the five of them in surprise.

"Wait, you've been trained on how to do that?" Yang exclaimed. Apparently, even she didn't know her sister knew how to do that.

"Yeah, Uncle Qrow showed me how," Yang's little sister said as she stood up taking Saya's hands to stand her up as well. "Now, Saya, just close your eyes and concentrate."

Saya nodded and followed Ruby's instructions. Her teammates sat back and watched as Ruby moved a hand to Saya's face. Saya began to glow a soft purplish color while Ruby began to glow a gentle crimson. Thus, Ruby began the chant:

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

Ruby was exhausted by the act, but she had felt it succeed. That was when a sudden shock jolted her body. She didn't even hear her sister yelling her name in fear at seeing her collapse.

* * *

Silver eyes shot wide open in shock. Something had happened the moment she had unlocked Saya's aura and she did not know what. But soon that question fell incredible low on her list of questions. She was far more concerned with what was happening now.

All around her was not but a mass of swirling darkness. Silence reigned over her ears except for a low, eerie sound of the churning black encompassing all space surrounding her. Needless to say, Ruby was terrified. Her head darted back and forth; her fifteen-year-old mind unable to comprehend what was happening to her. Where was she? What was going on?

It was then that a giggle caught the young ears of the huntress-in-training. It sounded like Saya but. . . it sounded very wrong. It was emotionless and. . . sinister.

" ** _How interesting_** ," came Saya's voice from behind the crimsonette. Emotionless and taunting in its tone. Ruby turned around and saw what appeared to be Saya but dressed like she was when she had first met her after she had. . . exploded. This Saya had an amused look on her face; almost like she was enjoying the girl's plight. " ** _I must thank you. The effects of unlocking this 'aura' within my vessel will certainly be quite interesting to discover. I dare say they might even be beneficial to my cause._** "

"Er. . . Saya. . .?" Ruby nervously asked with a tone that dripped with dread of her current situation.

An empty laugh echoed from 'Saya' lips at the comment before her look turned sinisterly predatory. Ruby shrieked in fear as the Saya lookalike suddenly appeared mere inches from her. She tried to flee but her body simply would not move. She was frozen in place and forced to face this evil version of Saya. She could see the darkness behind her start rise quickly in a mass, flame-like motion with dark, screaming face forming in the shadowy abyss beyond her sight. The far-distant screams of suffering and fear echoed through her mind as she began to tremble in absolute terror. The first time she had ever done so in her life.

" ** _Oh, so close to the truth and yet so far_** ," the 'imposter' chuckled darkly. " ** _Make sure you keep entertaining me. . . silver eyes. . ._** "

The last thing Ruby saw before the darkness enveloped her was Saya's red, ringed eyes staring evilly into her own.

* * *

A quick, desperate intake of air and silver eyes widening in a panic alerted the other four girls that the team leader had awoken from her brief unconsciousness. After unlocked Saya's aura, Ruby had jolted in pain and collapsed unconscious much to the dismay of her team and horror of both Saya and Yang. Before she had awoken, Yang had been resting her baby sister's head on her chest and had been holding her with both hands for support. All four girls had been staring at her in worry.

Ruby struggled violently to sit up but Yang's strong grip kept her steady. It took several attempts to stop herself from hyperventilating.

"Ruby. . ." Yang worriedly said in as comforting a tone as she could muster. "Are you alright."

A few more deep breaths and the crimsonette had finally managed to regain complete control of her breath. Ruby responded hesitantly, "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Blake asked. "I know unlocking aura can be a bit exhausting but this seems a bit extreme to me."

"R-really, I'm fine," Ruby assured them awkwardly. "Maybe I wasn't quite ready for it."

Yang could easily see through her little sister's lie but chose not to bring it up. It was then that the heiress's sigh caught their attention, "You dolt. That was foolish to do if you didn't know you were ready for it."

"Yet it worked," Saya stated. "I can tell it did."

Red, ringed eyes locked onto silver ones. Ruby quickly suppressed her new-instinctual urge to panic at the sight of those eyes. Saya's worried look faded into genuine, beautiful smile as she knelt down and pulled the younger girl into a grateful hug, "I'm sorry doing so hurt you, but know I am very grateful for this."

She released the hug and held her at arm's length, "If you need anything please let me know, okay Ruby?"

Ruby forced her usual cheerful smile onto her face, "Sure."

Saya returned to full standing position and said to all four of the girls, "I think I should leave Ruby to rest. Besides, I think I've caused enough problems for you all tonight. . . I will see you all in the morning and sorry for the trouble."

"Don't worry about it, Saya," Yang said dismissively. "Wasn't your fault. Good night."

"Yes, good night, Miss Saya," Weiss said respectfully as Blake simply waved farewell to the smaller girl. With that, Saya made her exit; the door closing gently behind her.

After Saya left, Yang turned to her sister a more serious face masked upon her, "Okay, sis, tell me what's wrong. What's actually wrong."

Ruby was silent for only a moment but to the team of first-years it had seemed like an eternity. To Ruby, she knew there no point in trying to play dumb. She knew she was a terrible lair and that her sister could quite easily see through her. Besides, after the ordeal she had just had, she found herself lacking the usual energy she possessed to try that tactic anyway. Between that and unlocking Saya's aura, she was utterly exhausted.

"Something happened. . . when I unlocked Saya's aura," Ruby started unsurely. That immediately caught her three, older teammates attention. "I'm not sure I can explain it but. . . I felt a shot of pain run through me and when I opened my eyes I was surrounded by darkness. . . after a bit Saya appeared. . . but it wasn't Saya. . . it looked like Saya and sounded like Saya but her voice. . . it was dead, emotionless, heartless. . . she taunted me and said how I interested her. . . how me unlocking Saya's aura might benefit her in the future. . ."

The WBY of the team swallowed hard at the description. Chills ran up their spines. They had never heard of an actual experience of anything like it. It sounded like something out of a horror movie. Carefully, Yang wrapped her arms protectively around her sister and with each passing word held her closer, "Ruby, I'm—"

"Wait!" Ruby exclaimed suddenly jumping up and out of Yang's grip causing her teammates to tense.

"What Ruby what?" Weiss exclaimed, worried about her partner's sudden action.

"I just remembered something! Remember what Saya said earlier? About being a prisoner in her own body?"

"Yeah. . . ?" Yang replied, unsure where her sister was going with this.

"That Saya I saw. . . that fake Saya. . . she called Saya her vessel."

"Her. . . vessel. . .?" Blake inquired, pupils shrinking at the term.

A cold chill ran down Team RWBY's spines as the two pieces of Saya's story immediately made a connection. The implication of what was happening to their new friend suddenly becoming overwhelmingly dark.

"Why-Why do I get the feeling were uncovering some very dark territory here," Weiss asked, more to herself than to her team, though they all silently agreed. In the end, they all agreed they wouldn't bring up what had happened to Saya. At least not yet. The purple-haired girl had side-stepped the issue earlier and likely wouldn't want the subject brought up at the moment.

Needless to say, however, with that terrible revelation dominating their minds, none of the team would be sleeping well that night. Especially not their leader.

* * *

"Team JNPR please remain after class," Saya calmly voice spoke out after the bell rang calling an end to class for the day in a tone as close to authoritative as she could muster. "I have something I wish to speak to you all about."

To say everyone in attendance was surprised would be quite inaccurate. Even Professor Goodwitch had her usual strict persona was temporarily shattered by Saya's sudden act of authority. In her time as assistant thus far, Saya had rarely exercised the power of that title and certainly not without provocation as it seemed to be this time. Before Glynda could respond with any sort of acceptance or denial to the idea another voice spoke up.

"Well then, go on everyone," all eyes turned to the voice and were surprised to see the headmaster, Ozpin himself, entering the room behind Saya and his aide. "I do believe you all have homework I'm certain you'd like to complete to have some free time tonight."

With that, the students began to leave, with Team RWBY stopping to have one last glance at their closest friends before returning to their dorm. Team JNPR sat nervously wondering what they had done to draw the usually-quiet and fair assistant's ire. Indeed, even Ozpin and Glynda were curious what Saya's aim was, though Ozpin certainly had an idea if his conversation with her the previous day was any indication.

Saya smiled at the four, first-year students, "Don't worry. I'm not mad. There's just something that needs to be discussed between us. Please come down here. I'd prefer not to stare up at you the entire time."

The four nodded and made their way down to the arena. In the meantime, Glynda turned to the headmaster and asked in a hushed tone, "Ozpin do you know what's going on?"

"No," he answered nonchalantly, taking a sip of his coffee. "But I do believe I have an idea."

Soon, Team JNPR was standing in front of Saya, and she finally got a chance to view the boy's red-haired partner in full detail: Pyrrha Nikos.

Pyrrha was a girl more fit to be an amazon than pretty much any other female Saya had met up to this point. Striking emerald eyes, which were made all the more striking due to the green eyeshadow she wore, and vibrant, red hair still didn't detract from her warrioress visage despite showing off me that she was a very beautiful, young woman. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that went down to her waist which was held in place by a bronze circlet.

Her attire seemed to greatly emphasize her combative background as well. Her top was dual-layered: the top was a light-brown, strapless, and stiff piece of leather split divided vertically with some bronze patterns along with some studs along the outside while the bottom was a low bronze V-neck. She wore an elastic, black, A-line miniskirt and a red, ankle-length sash that wrapped around her skirt. In addition to that, she also wore brown, opera-length gloves on both arms, a small, circular, bronze plate bearing her symbol by her right hip which was opposite two pouches with both connected to a belt, and a large bronze gorget around her neck.

Completing her entire outfit were bronze, armor-plated leggings and brown, heeled boots with bronze trimmings.

From what Saya understood, Pyrrha was the combat champion of a whole kingdom. A very skilled warrior with experience in the arena to match. She frowned. She was his partner. Had Jaune not realized he had a valuable source literally within arm's reach. It annoyed her even more than the circumstances had been.

It didn't matter though; all this was about to change today.

"So, uh, whatcha need, Miss Saya?" the orange-haired girl asked in a semi-disrespectful tone though considering what Saya had seen of the girl over the past week she didn't see it as an offense. The girl was very hyper and random. "I mean if it's about that whole thing with the gum and feathers I can totally explain—"

Saya blinked and tilted her head in confusion, "Uh, what thing with the gum and feathers?"

The girl stood as stiff as a boar. Her eyes opened wide. Her partner, the black-and-pink-haired boy put a hand to his face and groaned quietly. Immediately after, the girl started change nervous possess literally every other second, "Gumandfeathers? Inevermentionedanythinginvolvinggumorfeather? Don'tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout! Nope! Notatall! Nada!"

"Miss Valkyrie," the combat professor of Beacon spoke up causing the girl to stop dead in her tracks. The girl-turned-doll was very great. She was certain she was starting to get a headache from the amount of information her brain was trying to process due to the girl's fast talking. "We'll discuss this later. Saya, please continue."

"Thank you, professor," Saya said professionally before turning back to the now awkward and embarrassed team. "Jaune, I want you to get into the arena. We're going to have a bit of an exhibition match."

Everyone, including Professor Goodwitch, blinked in surprise as if what she had just said hadn't fully registered. Before the female professor could protest or even recover from the blatant surprise of Saya's order, however, the hushed tone of her boss stopped, "Glynda, don't interfere. Let's watch and observe what she does."

Glynda gaped slightly at him but nevertheless silently agreed.

Finally, the four students recovered themselves as Jaune made his way over to the arena before anxiously turning to ask who'd he'd be fighting. Ozpin and Glynda were curious themselves. Who did she have in mind?

Seemingly ignoring the question, the purple-haired girl asked him, "Mr. Arc, in terms of combat I've noticed you seem to be rather. . . lacking."

Jaune blushed red in embarrassment but didn't comment. She wasn't wrong.

"In fact, to me, it seems that prior to Beacon's initiation you bare only enough to know how to use that sword and shield you use," she continued approaching him slowly at the center of the arena. Glynda stared in surprise. She knew her assistant had gone to Ozpin the previous day to ask about Jaune. Was she. . . outright telling them what she had learned? That was. . . actually a brilliantly subtle to get Jaune's attention if so.

" _If that's the case, Saya_ ," Glynda thought. " _Then you've definitely gotten his attention now_."

It also occurred to her that if this indeed was the case then Jaune's transcripts were pretty much confirmed to be terribly inaccurate. She held back a sigh and mentally inquired to herself why Ozpin would let boy attend Beacon if that was the case.

Nevertheless, her assessment seemed to be correct as Jaune immediately went ghostly pale after Saya mentioned that little detail, " _D-do they know? But if that's the case why wouldn't they have expelled me already_?"

"If so I came to a very logical conclusion," Saya said floating away from him to give them some distance between each other. "To more accurately assess you, you need an opponent more your experience level."

Without facing away from her student across from her, said asked politely, "Professor Goodwitch, could you please set the next match?"

Now, Professor Goodwitch actually was gaping even Ozpin was clearly taken aback, " _She couldn't have possibly. . . could she. . . ?_ "

Glynda hit the button for the next match. Typically, unless they had something special planned or the class went on a bit of a tangent, she and Saya would program the matches for each class in succession. They entered in a blank slot between each match and at the beginning and end to ensure that the screen was blank between matches and before and after class started. It was far more professional that way.

After one or two days in class, she had simply begun telling Saya what the matches were to be and Saya would autonomously enter them in herself thereby allowing Glynda to get other work done in the meantime.

And there it was, the next match: Jaune vs Saya. Her assistant had this whole thing planned out. She was speechless, " _But. . . why didn't she tell me?_ "

That question, however, was immediately overshadowed by something else the female teacher had just noticed _, "Wait, I thought she didn't have her aura unlocked? How is it displaying?_ "

While confusion and dismayed dominated the usually-unbending professor, Ozpin, despite being somewhat confused himself, decided to hold giving credit to his opinions until afterward. After Saya finished whatever she was trying to do and after she explained herself to them. A shared glance between the two was all that was needed to convey that message to Glynda as well who in turn attempted to quell her inner turmoil on the matter. With that in mind, she made her way up to arena herself to proctor the match. Saya had given her no reason to doubt her yet so, for now, she'd trust her with whatever she was trying to do.

Jaune readied his weapon and his shield, but before Professor Goodwitch could begin the match Saya managed one last comment, "This is my first time fighting another person, Mr. Arc. Please make it memorable for me."

The boy barely had time to register his surprise upon his face when the teacher shouted, "Begin."

The moment the match started, Saya thrust her right arm forward. A red, portal-like ring from behind her just outside the arena and a black, ethereal chain with a crimson glow darted outward wrapping around Jaune's waist. He barely hard time to shout when Saya dragged her extended arm back towards her side and the chain began dragging him right past her towards the edge of the arena at a very fast speed. In desperation, Jaune planted his feet and drove his sword as deep into the arena floor as he could. The sword got stuck thus stopping himself right before he fell out of the arena though he was still struggling against the pull of the chain.

Glynda couldn't help but be impressed with her assistant. Her first match and she pulled off a move that in some cases might have given her an immediate victory. If nothing else, it would've caught many opponents by surprise.

As the knight-hopeful's mind was occupied by not allowing himself to lose so quickly into the match. Saya herself swiftly spun to her left to face her opponent again, her left arm extended out. The huntsman-in-training hadn't even realized a second chain had wrapped around him until the first vanished and he founded himself being jerked the opposite direction. Saya, using the force Jaune was using to resist her initial chain, had pulled him back at a much quicker speed than he had moved initially. She figured he had barely had enough reaction time to stop himself the first time, however, this time, despite having to cover more ground, it would be too fast for him to react to it. And even if it wasn't, he was still facing the wrong direction.

What she hadn't been expecting, however, was for Jaune in his panic to twist himself allowing his left foot to strike the ground. In an instant, he saw his chance and used his foot coupled with the momentum of the chain pulling him to take a swing at Saya.

Her eyes widened as she bent over backward to avoid the strike; her levitation preventing her from falling flat on her butt from the angle she took to avoid the strike. However, her concentration was broken and the chain faded. Jaune landed awkwardly and fell over, but quickly got back on his feet and charged his royal-haired opponent who was still recovering from the bend she made to avoid his wide swing. He swung several times at her, but she continuously dodged them. She had gotten very used to her levitation over the past week. No matter how she contorted her body to desperately avoid the incoming sword swings, she subconsciously always stayed in the air.

It was about this time that the rest of Team JNPR began to notice something off with Saya.

"Um, is it just me or is Saya not moving her legs?" Nora asked the two teammates standing next to her.

"It. . . doesn't appear so," Pyrrha said, a bit confused by this observation.

"Come to think of it; I don't think I've ever seen Miss Saya ever move her legs like she was walking," Ren replied, hand to his chin in thought. "It's almost as if she's simply—"

Their eyes widened as they turned to each other, "Floating!"

Nora's face suddenly shifted to extremely gleeful as she cheerfully exclaimed, "Ooh! I wonder if she can teach me how to do that! That's so cool!"

"It's definitely making it hard for Jaune to land a hit," Ren observed.

Pyrrha couldn't help but agree. While certainly not as fast as Ruby, not having to use your body or even your legs to move certainly made Saya's reaction time very impressive. Considering if what the assistant said was true and this was only her first bout as well, Pyrrha could only imagine how hard to hit she would be after some practice and training.

Practice and training though was something Saya wish she had considered before going forward with this plan. She, at the moment, had no means of offense and could only really drag Jaune out of the ring. But right now, she couldn't even think as she desperate avoided swing after swing. She had been hoping to avoid a straight up fight as she had no real means of combating her current predicament. She cursed silently inward and made a mental note to fix this glaring weakness of hers before she tried something like this again.

Jaune, meanwhile, was getting frustrated. No matter how many times he swung at his foe he just could not hit her. She moved too quickly, too smoothly for him to combat as he was. But he did think he was starting to notice a pattern in her movements. He lost his chance to act on it, however, when Saya quickly darted backwards before thrust both arms outward. He braced himself for another chain but found himself completely immobile.

Everyone present at the very least recognized the description of what was happening. Four, spiked chains pierced shallowly into a translucent, crimson orb Jaune found himself trapped in. Maintaining her concentration, Saya moved towards her opponent and to his dismay grabbed his sword from him. She then quickly darted back as she released the immobilizing ability. Before he could react, she thrust her free arm forward and another chain darted out from behind her to try her out-of-the-ring tactic again. As she grasped her arm back, she spun her body moving it in an arc away from Jaune's path out of the ring to prevent another attempt to break her concentration.

In a last-ditch attempt to stop her, Jaune threw his shield at her and it hit home straight into her forehead. It worked and the chain faded, but inertia got the better of him resulting in him being unable to stop his journey to yet another loss.

Saya's aura protected her from the blow but having a shield smack her in the face still disoriented her. She barely registered Glynda calling the match in her favor. She silently thanked and cursed her time as Izanami's prisoner for the incredible pain tolerance she now had.

Jaune, despite not having suffered a single, offensive hit, looked beaten down by the loss. The idea that he lost to someone who had never fought another person before today was just depressing to him.

Finally recovered, Saya made her way over to her fallen foe, picking up his shield on the way, and kindly handed them back to him. He took them though he was clearly disheartened.

Saya took immediate note of this, "Why do you look so downtrodden, Mr. Arc?"

It was pretty much a rhetorical question. Everyone knew the answer to that, but he answered anyway.

"It was your first match and yet you still wiped the floor with me," Jaune sulked. "I'm starting to really doubt I'm cut out for this—Ow!"

His hand went to his forehead. Saya had just flicked him in annoyance, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Jaune, and stop kidding yourself."

Jaune stared at her eyes wide as she continued, "Wiped the floor with you? Is that what you think happened? Truth is it was far from it. I just got lucky at the end there."

"Uh. . ." Nora spoke up from where she had been standing. "Not to be a jerk about it but, uh, are you sure about that? It looked pretty one-sided to me."

Saya shook her head, "Miss Nikos, how many offensive options did I use?"

Said champion thought about it for a second before answering, "I only really saw you using your chains, really. Did I miss something else?"

"No, and that was my main weakness: other than the chains I had no offensive capability to use."

She turned back to Jaune, "You had me on the ropes there for a bit, Jaune. I had no means of actually bringing down your aura effectively. My only hope was to catch you with my chains. In fact, immobilizing you was a risky gamble I took. I've never used that ability with an opponent right on top of me. I wasn't even sure if I would have been able to pull it off. I was lucky that I did."

Jaune stared in shock. His first week at Beacon had been nothing but him getting kicked around in combat class and struggling through the rest of his academics. For the first time, he felt hope.

That he felt like he actually did have a chance.

"You know, it has come to my attention that your partner is an arena champion," Saya said simply causing Pyrrha's eyes to widen. "She's your partner and you are supposed to help each other. If you were struggling so bad with this aspect of Beacon, why have you not asked her for help? I'm certain she wouldn't mind, would she?"

Saya's red eyes locked onto Pyrrha's green. She hastily shook her head, "No, of course not!"

She nodded and returned her attention to her recent opponent, "Well, why not then?"

Jaune was silent for a moment, guilt-ridden in his eyes. He took one very deep breath before he spoke. The tone he did so seemed empty and scared, "I. . . have a confession to make. . ."

Saya already had an idea what it was but tilted her head in interest nonetheless, "And that is?"

Jaune slowly turned his head towards his team and then towards the two professors before he let out another deep breath. He was beginning to tremble, "I. . . shouldn't be here. . . I. . . my transcripts were faked."

Three gasps echoed from his teammates; Jaune couldn't bear to look at them at the moment as he dropped his head in shame. He was expecting yelling. Expecting outrage. What he wasn't expecting was Ozpin's calm reply, "We are already well aware of that, Mr. Arc."

"What?"

"Uh?"

"Excuse me?"

Those three responses came from Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora respectively. Jaune's eyes bugged out as he gazed mouth wide open at the headmaster. Ozpin smiled slightly, "Give us some credit, Mr. Arc. Do you really think you're the first person to try and get into Beacon under false pretenses?"

"B-b-but then wh-why. . .?"

"I do believe your match with Saya has proven why," Ozpin said sipping his coffee. "I see great potential in you. I saw past the fake transcripts and saw what you could be. I believe I told you all in your commencement speech when you arrived that it was up to you to take that first step?"

"U-um. . . yes, sir."

"Well, I do believe Saya has shown you a means to help get you on track."

Jaune nodded and for the first time since his confession, he gazed towards his team. He didn't see what he expected: disgust, horror, anger. What he saw instead were three faces smiling at him supportively. He couldn't help but smile in return, "Hey, uh, Pyrrha. Would you mind, uh, spending some time helping me out with my fighting skill?"

The red-haired amazon smiled, "Of course, Jaune."

She jerked downward in surprise as a weight suddenly flung itself onto her back. It was Nora excitedly pointing towards Jaune, "Don't forget about me and Ren! We'll help you get into tip-top shape! Don't you worry about that!"

Jaune chuckled awkwardly as he joked to Saya, "Is it bad that I kind of am worried about it now?"

Saya giggled a bit, "Nope, not at all."

"Well then," the headmaster stated walking up to stand next to his aide's assistant. "I do believe we've held you all up enough. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, headmaster," Jaune said and with that left the room with his team, the hyper, hammer-wielder describing how they were going to help Jaune out with his training as they went. Saya couldn't help but smile and breath a sigh of relief.

"So, his transcripts were faked," Professor Goodwitch bluntly stated as she walked up to join the two. "I take that was what you went to ask Ozpin about yesterday."

"Yes, it was. He told me it in confidence so I didn't really want to give it away to you. . ." Saya said feeling a tad guilty about the whole thing. "I know you said you trusted Ozpin's decision-making but—"

"And I trust your reasoning, Saya," Glynda said reassuringly. "You don't have to explain yourself. What you did certainly did wonders for the boy's confidence. I expect quite a bit of improvement from here on out."

"If he puts the effort in, of course," Ozpin commented before taking another sip of his coffee.

"I have little doubt we have to worry about that for now," Glynda said in a satisfied tone before turning to Saya. "I am curious though how you have your aura unlocked, Saya."

"I am curious about that myself," the headmaster added.

Saya gulped, "Well, I tried to find out how to do it from Coco last night but I couldn't find their dorm. Ruby found me instead and took me to ask her team where she ended up unlocking it for me."

Both professors blinked, "Miss Rose unlocked your aura?"

"Yes."

"I didn't even know that she knew how exactly to do that," the female professor commented.

Ozpin shook his head, "I'm pretty sure I know how she does though."

"Qrow?"

"Qrow."

Saya was enjoying the bantering until a pulse rang straight through her body. She felt it surge through her body with immense force almost as if her heart stopped beating. Then she felt another. And another. What was happening to her? She'd never felt anything like it before? Was Izanami trying to escape? It didn't seem so.

That is when she felt it. A presence. A presence so familiar to her. She recognized it. It reminded her of happier times. Of days gone by. She had felt it before, but what could it– Saya's eyes widened when she realized why it felt so familiar to her.

And where it was coming from.

"Headmaster!" Saya shouted in sudden distress quickly gaining their undivided attention. "We need to get to the Cauldron! Now!"

* * *

 **Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter took a while but between work and me getting stuck in a few spots. . . anyway, Saya's first fight. I figured that this was the best way to do it so I hope you all are pleased with it. On top of that, this is easily the longest chapter to date. Hope it wasn't too overwhelming for you all.**

 **I'll try to take as few liberties with the lore of both stories as I can but with fanfiction I feel it's inevitable that something like that will happen. I'll do my best to keep it to a minimum and allow the source materials to shine through. Any liberties I do take, rest assured, will have logical reasoning behind them.**

 **With that disclaimer out of the way, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**

 **~Omniczar**

 **Response to Reviews**

 **Shirozaki Kizuro –** You're welcome.

 **Lazruth –** Yep, that was pretty much the idea seeing as how her last experience with the outside world was over a decade or so it makes pretty good sense that she has much to learn.

 **Student –** I feel most of the review was simple fact explaining rather than a review of the story. Seems to be a common theme I see. Either way, thank you.

 **Imp Slap –** You people have this joint talent of thinking of a plot point literally the chapter before it happens. You all psychic or something? Or is it some sort of instinct?

 **Ihavenonamingskillwhatsoever –** Oooo eeee ooooo. . .

 **Supernobody –** Alrighty then, that's something I just read. Guess you'll have to wait and see for my interpretation of that. Still was fun to read and imagine your take. Thanks!

 **Shadowedge27 –** Thanks again for pointing out that piece of the lore to me. Rest assured it's been fixed now.

 **Gabe. .1997 –** Indeed.

 **Furukawa023** – See my response to Imp Slap.

 **Ragna317 –** Well. . . I kinda agree with you but at the same time I feel you missed a couple of plot points. For one, in Central Fiction, the reason Ragna starts destroying everyone towards the end is not because Ragna has gotten significantly stronger. That is part of it, he is indeed growing way stronger over the course of the final game, but one key thing mentioned after Ragna beats Hakumen is that everyone else is growing weaker. Everyone with a Drive is being drained and fading into the Boundary. It happens to Kokonoe, Kagura, everyone. That's why Ragna is so immensely powerful at the end. Not just because he gained strength due to his Soul Eater ability but because unlike every other character, he doesn't possess a Drive, and thus is not subject to the fading of the world.

I could go further with this but I don't think this is the proper place for it. If you want to continue feel free to PM me about it.

Glad you're enjoying the story though. Hope you like what I do in the future.


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